Buddy the duck is quite at home on the shore of Lake Summerside — the problem is, the south Edmonton body of water isn’t his home.
“He seems pretty happy, he seems pretty healthy,” said Kim Livingston, the office manager at the Lake Summerside Residents Association.
Buddy showed up at the man-made lake in the southeast Edmonton Summerside neighbourhood about three months ago.
Livingston said no one thought much of it until one day, the duck got tangled up in a fishing lure.
Livingston looked to see if the region’s local wildlife rescue organization could help.
“I called and asked Wild North if they would take him, as I was concerned about the hook in his bill.”
A Cayuga duck named Buddy, who has been living in Lake Summerside in south Edmonton for three months, on July 24, 2026.
Global News
Alberta is home to many species of ducks like mallards and the northern pintail, but with his dark green head and black body with an iridescent blue sheen, it became clear Buddy was not from around here.
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“They asked me to send pictures of him, so I did — and they told me they weren’t able to do anything for him, because he’s a domestic duck.”
Buddy is a Cayuga duck — a breed developed in New York State between the 1830s to 1850s from a wild black duck, the Black East India, and the Rouen, according to the Oklahoma State University department of animal and food sciences.
While the Cayuga is considered a very hardy duck that can adapt to cold weather, Alberta winters are too harsh for Buddy, who also can’t fly.
“He can’t take off from here, so he’s stuck,” Livingston said. “Not only will he not survive in the winter without shelter, I did read that even though he’s foraging in the lake, he’s not getting the proper nutrition.”
A Cayuga duck named Buddy, who has been living in Lake Summerside in south Edmonton for three months, on July 24, 2026.
Global News
While Livingston said Buddy is being fed waterfowl food three times a day, that’s just a temporary solution.
A new owner has been found that has other ducks and geese, so the next challenge is convincing Buddy it’s time to leave the lake.
Livingston said they’ve tried catching Buddy, but he always ducks away whenever they get close.
“We spent about two hours trying to catch him.
“He outsmarted us every time.”
To that end, an expert bird catcher is scheduled to come in and help over the weekend.
In the meantime, people enjoying the Lake Summerside are asked to respect Buddy’s space.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
