A typical mother duck usually has around 8 to 15 ducklings in a single brood, though this number can vary by species and individual circumstances. For example, black-bellied whistling ducks have been observed with up to 15 ducklings

. Mallard ducks commonly have about 10 ducklings, but broods can range from just one to 12 or more

. Extraordinarily large broods, sometimes called "super broods" or "crèches," can occur when multiple females' ducklings group together under the care of one experienced mother duck. Such crèches can have 20 to 30 ducklings commonly, but there are rare documented cases of a single female duck caring for over 70 ducklings, as seen with a common merganser in Minnesota

. However, in these cases, the ducklings are not all hers biologically; she acts more like a babysitter for a large group of ducklings from multiple mothers. In summary:

• Typical brood size: about 8 to 15 ducklings per mother duck

• Large crèches can have 20 to 30 ducklings or more

• Exceptional cases with 70+ ducklings are rare and involve communal care, not a single mother duck's own offspring