Why did the duckling cross the road? He was following the other 23! Amazing image shows parade of young birds led by proud mother

• A female mallard led a huge troop of 24 ducklings across a road in the Norfolk 
• Animal and bird experts said it was likely two large broods that had merged 
• Passers-by stopped in their tracks as the procession waddled past them 

Quack march! This proud mother has certainly managed to get all her ducks in a row. 

A female mallard was spotted leading a huge troop of 24 ducklings across a road in the Norfolk village of Ashill. Experts said it was likely two large broods had merged.

Passers-by stopped in their tracks and motorists pulled up as the well-ordered procession waddled through the village.

A photo of the parade was put on Twitter by NHS virologist Lorraine Alcock, who wrote: ‘Not sure what the record is but my dad saw a mother duck with 24 ducklings this morning near the village pond where we live.’ The is no world record for the category at present but 22 ducklings were pictured together in Cookson, Oklahoma, in 2012.

A female mallard was spotted leading a huge troop of 24 ducklings across a road in the Norfolk village of Ashill. Experts said it was likely two large broods had merged

Lorraine’s mother, Christine, said: ‘We were walking through the village to our daughter’s allotment.

‘The duck managed to cross the road twice with the ducklings, believe it or not. They all followed in a line – it was amazing to watch.

‘I think she was just taking them for a walk. She was heading towards the village green, where there’s a large pond.

‘It’s quite picturesque. We have signs up saying “Beware of the ducks”, so people [drivers] slow down substantially there.

‘It went on for two or three minutes. The amazing thing is, the ducklings have been relatively well-cared for because they were all the same size.

‘She’s done well to keep them as long as she has because the ducklings get predated by other things. It’s a miracle really.’

Retired upholstery machinist Mrs Alcock and her husband Richard, a former insurance worker, saw the ducks last Wednesday.

She said she had seen 14 ducklings following behind their mother previously but never so many together and suspects eggs from another nest were ‘probably hijacked’.

Mallards can lay up to a dozen eggs at a time.

An RSPB spokesman said it was likely some of the ducklings spotted in Ashill came from another nest.

He added: ‘Either a second female has laid eggs in the other female’s nest or, after hatching, two broods have merged to form one larger group.’

Guinness World Records said: ‘This is a record title that Guinness World Records does not currently monitor.’ 

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