The expression “getting away with it” is familiar to everyone. The figurative meaning of the phrase is clear, but an ordinary duck can become a living personification of the direct meaning! Even after a long swim, these birds come ashore, as if after a beauty salon. The plumage lies flat, it is dry and clean. How do birds do this? Why the clumsy duck on land swims and dives so masterfully has probably been something many people have wondered about. To understand this, you need to take a closer look at the bird.
Why do waterfowl feathers not get wet?
The plumage of birds that live near bodies of water is covered with a thin layer of fat.It protects the body cover from getting wet. Fat also retains heat. Water flows down the back, starting from the head, if the duck emerges and swims, in such a way that it does not seep through the dense feather layer.
Birds groom themselves after each bath to renew the protective layer on their feathers. Near the tail of all waterfowl there is a special gland that produces fatty lubricant. Ducks grab it with their beaks and carefully rub it into their plumage. Muscle fibers lift the feather shafts. From the outside it looks like the bird is shaking itself off after water procedures.
She performs all these manipulations several times daily in order to stay afloat.
Scientists have proven that if you wash off the fat layer from a duck, it will drown, despite the lightness of the bones and the total supply of air in the lungs.
Presence of membranes
Webbed feet are important adaptations for movement in and under water. Ducks' legs are short compared to other birds, but they are strong and located closer to the tail. They have three main fingers with membranes and one accessory one on the inner edge. It is necessary for stability.
On land, the bird's gait looks clubbed, and ducks cannot boast of walking speed. Their paws stand vertically; when viewed from the front, they are sloping towards the center. When running on such limbs, the bird may even fall on its chest due to poor balance. In water, the paws are at an angle to the surface. It is thanks to their size and muscle strength that the bird can quickly gain speed, turn and brake.
Plumage
It is known that ducks can stay in icy water for a long time and move calmly through the snow. Some species even sleep right on the waves, with their heads tucked under their wings. There is no mystery in this, it’s all about the special feather layer.
Dense down is covered with thick feathers. There is a sufficient layer of warm air between them. In addition, the upper feathers, due to fatty grease, are windproof.
Interesting features
Along with everything else, these funny birds have a number of unusual differences:
- Ducks' feet do not freeze even in cold weather, because there are simply no blood vessels or nerve endings there.
- Waterfowl are held to the surface by an air sac, which, when diving, pushes air to the back so that the beak and chest are submerged.
- The third eyelid protects the duck's eyes from debris in turbid water.
- Ducks can dive directly from the surface of the water, while most other birds dive from a height to do this.
- When diving, birds regulate depth and speed with their wings and movable tail.
- They are able to dive for 7-13 minutes if they are chasing prey. The average swimming speed is 1 m/s.
- During molting, ducks try to stay in the pond as little as possible, because there is a risk of losing heat and getting their new feathers wet.
- The subcutaneous layer of fat also serves as a float and warms the birds in the cold.
