Duck nest on ship deck destroyed by magpies

A pair in Lahti delayed their boating plans for a month after a mallard built a nest on the deck of their 150-year-old iron-hulled ship, protected by Finland’s nesting peace law, only for magpies to destroy the clutch while the duck foraged for food.

Minna-Liisa Luoma discovered the nest under a bench on the bow after her dog, Lenita, showed interest in the area. The nest contained about ten eggs. Finnish law protects the nesting peace of wild birds, so the family left the nest undisturbed, monitoring it via a wildlife camera.

The nesting progressed smoothly until magpies raided the nest in the brief window when the duck, named Siiri by the family, left to feed. “Between meetings, I checked my phone to see how Siiri was doing. In a minute, two magpies emptied the entire nest,” Luoma said. Siiri returned that evening but has not been seen since.

Urban nesting is common among ducks, driven by the loss of rural habitats due to eutrophication and overgrowth, which expose nests to land predators like mink and raccoon dogs. Cities offer safety, abundant food, and year-round feeding. Jari Ullakko, a wetland bird expert at BirdLife Finland, noted that older female ducks often select safe nesting sites in autumn for the following spring.

Lahti’s harbor, where the ship is docked, hosts Finland’s largest mainland colony of great black-backed gulls on its breakwater. Ducks often exploit such colonies for protection, as the aggressive gulls deter predators. However, this did not shield Siiri’s nest from magpies, which, along with jackdaws, account for a significant portion of urban duck nesting losses. Studies in Sweden show up to 80 percent of ducklings do not survive to adulthood.

Luoma described the experience as both sad and educational, praising the guidance from local bird rescue and wildlife agencies. Despite the initial shock, she bears no ill will toward the magpies and considers the observation a positive experience.