 The nest , built from plant material and unlined , is placed among dense vegetation or in a tree hole . The typical clutch is around ten whitish eggs . The breeding adults , which pair for life , take turns to incubate , and the eggs hatch in 24 – 29 days . The downy grey ducklings leave the nest within a day or so of hatching , but the parents continue to protect them until they fledge around nine weeks later . 
