Waterfowl
 Precocial birds include waterfowl, such as swans, geese and surface feeding ducks as well as land birds such as quail, pheasant and grouse.  Precocial birds hatch with their eyes open and are covered with down.  At the time they hatch, a strong bond known as "imprinting" is formed with their mother.  They are able to follow the hen and peck for food within hours of hatching, as soon as their down dries.  Both land and water precocial babies fatigue easily and need to return to the nest to rest and keep warm in their mother's feathers.
  If a young precocial bird is found, the best policy is to leave the area and let the parent bird resume caring for their young.  If the young are obviously injured, if the mother is known to be dead, if they are in imminent danger, or if there are flies buzzing around them, then it would be most beneficial to rescue the young birds and immediately contact a licensed, trained wildlife rehabilitator.  Do not attempt to place these orphaned young in another nest with another brood as the imprinting bond does not exist with another hen, and the babies will be rejected or possibly killed in the process.  You can place the young birds inside a cardboard box punched with ample but small ventilation holes.  Use soft, non-ravelling cloth such as an old tee-shirt, for bedding or nesting material.  Keep them in a dark, quiet and temperate area until transport to a trained individual is possible.  This should be done quickly.   DO NOT attempt to feed or give water to the young birds.  Let them remain undisturbed but do get them to the proper person for care ASAP.  It doesn't take long for a young bird to dehydrate or get hungry, but a trained individual should be the one to determine the proper course of action.
  It may be tempting to consider making a "pet" of a cute gosling or duckling, but keeping wildlife for any length of time is illegal without the proper State and Federal permits, and in the case of birds may violate Federal Law.  In addition, wild animals do not make good companion animals and deserve the right to live out their lives the way natured intended - wild.