When swimming in open waters, it pays to keep your ducks (or your goslings!) in a row. A recent study examined the waves generated behind adult water fowl and found that babies following directly behind them benefit from their wake. In the right spot behind its mother, a duckling sees 158% less wave-drag than it would when swimming solo. That’s such a large reduction that the duckling actually gets pulled along! And the advantage doesn’t just help one duckling; a properly-placed duckling passes the benefit on to its siblings as well. So any duckling that stays in line has a much easier time keeping up, but those who slip out of the ideal spot will have a much tougher time. (Image credit: D. Spohr; research credit: Z. Yuan et al.; via Science News; submitted by Kam-Yung Soh)
Tag: ducks
Rolling Off a Duck’s Back
Ducks and other water fowl need protection from the elements. Fortunately for them, the structure of their feathers cleverly helps them shed water. As seen in this video, feathers have tiny hooks, called barbicels, that act like Velcro, zipping the individual barbs of a feather together to keep water out. When birds preen, they’re using their bills to rezip any sections that came loose. They also use their bills to spread a waxy substance onto the feathers to give them even more waterproofing. All together, these measures help the birds keep out cold water and trap warm air in the down near their skin. (Image and video credit: Deep Look)
