New Britain's Feathered Families: Stanley and Ella Lead Ducklings to Stanley Quarter Park

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Stanley, a seasonal duck known at Central, returned to the campus earlier this month with seven new ducklings, born on May 6. Kelly Selby, the Central Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator, and her team gave Stanley and her ducklings time to settle at their nest site before moving them to their usual environment at Stanley Quarter Park in New Britain on May 14. Their relocation was recorded and is available on YouTube for public viewing.

This spring, another female mallard, influenced by Stanley, nested in the same area on the campus. Following a social media campaign, this duck was named Ella, after Connecticut Governor Ella Grasso. Ella hatched 10 ducklings a week after Stanley and later introduced them to Stanley and her ducklings. Ella and her ducklings relocated to the park on May 17.

The nesting site on the Central campus does not have a direct exit for the ducklings to leave safely before they are ready to fledge. However, the Central community has consistently helped these duck families move safely to the park. This is the fourth year in a row that female mallards have chosen this campus location for its protection from predators and minimal human disturbance.

Stanley is one of several mallards that have been captured and tagged by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) at Stanley Quarter Park. This tagging is part of DEEP's effort to monitor and assess the nesting success of mallards, including their movements and habitat choices. Stanley was tagged in September 2022 and named after the park.