Chinese merganser ducklings are hatching and ready to perform the big leap from their nests high up in trees in the Changbai Mountains of northeast China.

Footage shows the fluffy birds following their mother jumping from trees, free-falling to the grass and making it to their feet again.

About 24 hours after giving birth, mother ducks decide it's time to leave their nests, as it would be too dangerous when the ducklings start to quack and expose their location to predators.

After the leap, mother ducks lead their babies to a nearby river where they learn to forage on their own.

This migratory bird is under top-class state protection in China and listed as endangered on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Breeding in the north and wintering in the south, they can be found in the forests of China, Russia and the Korean Peninsula.

(Cover image via video screenshot)