The ducklings are getting much bigger very quickly, to the point that it's almost hard to tell the mother duck from the ducklings, (mother duck in back of procession)
How much bigger are these ducklings going to get before they start flying?
asked Jun 20, 2018 at 5:04
-
Charlie, can you please clarify the duck breed? According to my research, there are some differences. Mallards are the most popular duck in America, so the sources are similar. In other countries where there are more breeds, information varies a bit depending on the breed.– Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GLJun 20, 2018 at 18:49
-
@Sue these are all mallard ducks– Charlie BrumbaughJun 20, 2018 at 18:50
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
According to Mallard - Wikipedia:
Incubation takes 27 to 28 days and fledging takes 50 to 60 days. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch.
So they will be about 8 weeks old when their flight feathers are fully developed. However it will be another month or two before they are strong enough to actually fly:
Two months after hatching, the fledgling period has ended, and the duckling is now a juvenile. Between three and four months of age, the juvenile can finally begin flying, as its wings are fully developed for flight (which can be confirmed by the sight of purple speculum feathers).
By that time they are more or less their full adult size.
answered Oct 28, 2019 at 17:43
