Ducks obviously are a species of “birds” and hence it’s automatically assumed that being a bird, just like any other bird, ducks too can fly!
Well, it’s true that ducks are undoubtedly birds, they have wings, and apparently, every equipment that it takes to take a flight, some variants of ducks are actually unable to take off into the air!
Interesting, isn’t it? This entire topic is basically going to be quite intriguing, so stick with us through this to enrich your encyclopedia significantly with a boost of some duckish knowledge!
So, without further ado, let’s get into the topic, shall we?
Can Ducks Fly?
The answer can straightaway be a “partial yes.” Because there are several duck species like the Muscovy duck and the Khaki Campbell who are physically capable of flying into the sky, although their maximum elevation might largely vary.
On the other hand, some duck species like Pekin duck, Rouen, and Cayuga have apparent wings, but they are of no use because these ducks can’t fly!
Are All Ducks Capable Of Flying?
One of the principal reasons why some species of ducks are unable to take off into the air is their body weight.
Even though some of their bodies are designed in the appropriate streamlined shape to enable flight, their body weight doesn’t permit it. However, some of them can lift up to a few feets but obviously can’t soar high.
Some other reasons can be extremely small wings, that do not enable the strength to cut through the air pressure, the main purpose of wings, and the main aid to why birds can actually fly!
They can barely flutter their wings and hop around with the little strength it allows.
How Long And High Can A Duck Fly?
Now that you know that some ducks can’t even take a small flight, you might be curious about how high the other “capable of flying ducks” can fly.
Well, interestingly enough, ducks can fly fairly above the ground to a stretch of 800 miles, for up to 8 hours on one flight!! How bizarre is that for a bird some of which species can’t even fly!
Such distances are attained by ducks mainly during their phase of migration when they are moving to an area of comparatively higher temperature.
How can Ducks fly for such a long time?
Before we right away dig into the answer to this question, one amazing thing you should know is, that ducks can actually save a lot of energy even while they are on their 8 hours long migration flight!
Now, you might think how is that possible, so, let me explain the science behind it.
Ducks fly in a V-shaped formation, wherein a single or a pair of ducks at the point play the role of the leader interchangeably while the others are followers.
Here, when the leader bird flaps its wings, a draft of air is created that renders a drift to the follower birds, making their flight easier and less energy-consuming, hence helping them save energy instead. Hence, it’s pure Teamwork!
At What Age do Ducks Start Flying?
Ducks can be as fast as 50 mph during their migration period. This speed is derived from the extremely feather-like weight of these species of ducks that are subjected to negligible to no air resistance.
Ducks need to get at least 40-60 days old to develop flying capabilities, only for the species that are actually capable of flying.
Hence, the answer to “Can duck fly?” was quite complex and descriptive to answer. Hopefully, you have all your curiosities served by now, and all this information immensely enriched your encyclopedia!
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