Can Ducks Fly?
If you have ever come across ducks, you have most likely seen them swimming in lakes or walking along the banks of ponds. However, these animals are rarely detected as they take to the skies. They are birds characterized by inhabiting
aquatic environments
, but even so the ducks can fly and reach surprising heights.
These birds can also travel long distances, as they have migratory habits to reach their destination each year.
They usually fly in company
and they do it to look for warmer places, but also to be able to reproduce. This aerodynamic quality of flight is not for all ducks, as there are some that, due to their quality of being domestic, fly low.
General characteristics of the plumage of ducks
Females are distinguished by the color of theirs
feathers
dull browns. This shade is a
camouflage they use to protect themselves from predators
and, at the same time, defend their young. Conversely, males have colorful plumage to seduce females. The feathers of these ducks
they will mutate when the females are busy incubating their eggs.
Some species of ducks have robust bodies, similar to their relatives, geese and swans, so it is strange to think that they are capable of taking flight. This is a half-truth: when males lose their feathers they cannot fly temporarily, but they resume flight in early autumn and regain their colorful plumage.
Why do ducks fly?
Ducks can fly to
great distances to get away from winter
. Similarly, the ability to fly will depend on the species and the needs required by the goal that the specimens want to achieve. Usually these birds fly in groups with the following qualities:
- They are arranged in a V shape to save energy
–
as a good working group
–
.
-
The duck that has the
track record
longer in flight migrations is the one that guides the group. The leader strongly receives the blows of the wind in his
wings
.
-
The ducks with the most flight experience take turns in the role of leader who will lead the next migration. This alternation is also the main form of communication within the group, so that
no one gets lost on the journey.
Some ducks can fly higher
The shelduck ( Tadorna ferruginea ) has an extraordinary ability to fly very high,
reaching heights of up to 6,800 meters above the ground.
It is a bird that lives in Europe, Africa and Asia, although in winter days it usually visits the Nile River.
The cinnamon jar duck also loves to visit the surroundings of the lands of Tibet. It is an animal that can fly through the highest peaks of the Himalayan valleys, so rough and inclement terrain is no problem.
Domestic ducks that can fly
Ducks can fly too
when they are domesticated, that is, when they live with people in a house
– from
usually in country houses
–
. The owners of these animals
they often fear that their ducks will fly away at some point.
In fact, this doesn’t have to happen, as long as
the bird is given the necessary conditions.
In any case, special attention should be paid to Bantams, Moscovies, Mallards and East Indies species, as these ducks can take flight at any time if they are not comfortable with the environment.
Life expectancy and behavior
It is already clear that the
ducks can fly, especially when environmental conditions are inclement.
Thanks to these migratory and adaptive mechanisms, a wild duck can live up to 20 years. Conversely, the life expectancy of these captive birds can be halved.
Ducks are waterfowl that
they love to clean themselves. They do this to keep themselves clean, remove feather scales, and kill parasites. They also love
swimming with their young in the lakes
. They are such good parents that they can become aggressive if someone approaches their offspring.
Ducks enjoy their aquatic habit in ponds and lagoons. However, when they want to fly, their locomotion speed
it can reach 40-60 miles per hour.
The quality of their flight does not make them the fastest birds in the world, but they become captains of water and air alike. In nature, not everything is as it seems.
