Mama duck takes care of 76 ducklings

Female duck has six dozen ducklings in her care

Twitter: Brent Cizek

DULUTH, Minn. – The 'Mom of the Year' award goes to this hen! 

On a recent trip to Lake Bemidji, Minnesota Wildlife Photographer Brent Cizek snapped a photo of about six dozen merganser ducklings following a Mama duck. 

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Experts say it is a common phenomenon in nature. 

The New York Times debunked the theory that they could all be her babies. 

“It’s impossible for this individual to have incubated, you know, 50 eggs,” Richard O. Prum, an ornithologist at Yale University told the NY Times. “That is really too much.”

So why is she caring for 76 ducklings? 

Experts say some birds, including common mergansers and ostriches, raise their babies in a day care system that’s called a crèche. 

Read more here.