Download Flight Speed of the Wood Duck

THE
meal.
Only
about
one-third
mouth, the duckling
was pulled
alive
The
method
described
of the
already
from
were not injured
BULLETIN
duckling’s
posterior
being well down the frog’s
the frog’s
in the towing
used by
throat
and
end
protruded
throat.
soon became
from
Nevertheless,
active.
The
these
ducklings
a bullfrog
for
The frog spent about an hour swallowing
A.
H.
Wright
(1920.
unusual
“Frogs:
in the
was different
capturing
than
a bird.
duckling’s
method
earlier
E.
Howard
(1950.
natural
W.
diet.
history
L.
and
McAtee
0. H. Hewitt (1950. .I. Wildl. Mgmt., 14:244) reported finding
rubripes), two or three days old, in the stomach of a bullfrog.
that
bullfrog
Capture
The
together
predation
of tethered
a natural
“swallowing
a three-weeks
with which the duckling
the cattails,
with
disappeared
the quick
on youn g Wood
birds,
was started.
capture
Ducks
42)
old duckling”
may
re-
of an unnamed
two Black
Ducks
as the five free ducklings
moved
of the two tethered
of course, is only partly
reported
Copeia, 1921:40)
species.
The promptness
fuscus cam-
utilization,”
(1921.
shooting
through
legs
the
W.
ported
(Anas
frog’s
the bird.
their
bullfrog’s
of a bullfrog
the
the duckling
Copeia, 1950:152)
reported seeing the capture of a Brown Towhee (Pip&
lae), which was caught by one foot or leg and submerged before swallowing
ducklings
June 1967
79, No. 2
Vol.
process.
used to capture
as being
WILSON
be substantial
indicative
birds,
suggests
in some situations.
of what
would
happen
in
situation.
observations
on the Wood
reported
Duck
E. H. Dustman
under
guided
in this
support
note
were
of the Ohio
the research
made
when
Cooperative
I was conducting
Wildlife
and the 1J.S. Fish and Wildlife
project,
research
Research
Unit.
Dr.
Service
re-
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Agricultural Research Service, Entomology Research Division, Oxford, North Carolina,
30 April 1966.
viewed
and typed
Flight
of birds,
hawks,
A.
speed of the Wood Duck.-Man
particularly
eagles,
flight
the ImnUSCript.-PAUL
and
the
speed and
waterfowl.
To
speeds, my wife and I timed
STEWART,
has always been interested
distances
accurately
the flight
flown
by the
determine
in the flight
larger
Wood
speeds of seventeen
ones such
(Aix
Duck
speed
as the
sponsa)
flocks over a measured
course.
Cooke
early
(1937,
records
“Flight
of bird
Speed
flight
of Birds,”
lJ.S. Dept.
speeds for mores than
of Agri.
100 species.
Circ.
No. 428)
Flight
tabulated
speeds of ducks
TABLE 1
FLIGHT
Flock
NO.
SPEEDS
OF
NINE
WOOD
DUCK
FLOCKS
RECORDED
No. in
flock
8 AUGUST
1964
Miles
per hour
1
3
14
2
5
17
39
3
4
14
47
4
3
17
39
5
2
15
44
6
1
14
47
7
1
12
55
8
5
13
51
9
3
14
47
3.0
14.4
45.9
Average
47
June 1967
1-01. 79, No. 2
GENERAL
NOTES
TABLE
2
FLIGHT SPEEDS OF EIGHT WOOD DUCK FLOCKS RECORDED 9 AUGUST 1964
from
47
3
14
47
14.5
46
2
12
55
5
14.5
46
14
17
39
12
12
55
13.7
48.3
a low of 26 miles
per hour
for
per hour
cruising
speeds between
flight
speed of four ducks which
hour.
Meinertzhagen
platyrhynchos)
Shoveler
During
(1955.
at 46-70
(Spatula
(Authya
course during
of the Wisconsin
Pintail
flocks
were
During
The
stop watch
perpendicular
between
Duck
in August,
the upstream
observer
from
complete
as the first
duck
hour but averaged
during
wind.
(Table
11 but
Wind
(Clang&
was negligible
47.1 miles per hour
did
(Table
average
dark,
wood
a
ducks
roost-
Wisconsin.
factor
was
crossed an imaginery
The
watch
by a flashlight
hyemalis)
during
speeds on the two evenings
the second evening
over
line
was stopped
when
that the first duck of the flock had crossed the imaginary
Oldsquaws
Duck
the
stretch
to their traditional
The only motivating
point.
clocked
Wood
a stop watch
dam in Merrill,
of the flock
downstream
Auk,
by an erratic
and
darkness.
The signal was transmitted
Recorded
The
(Anas
at 37765,
Just before
the power
to him.
troubled
with
line enroute
line perpendicular
62:135-136)
acuta)
The course was a 970-foot
points.
straight
upriver
on the
signaled
duck species.
40 and 55 miles per
speed of the Mallard
clocked
the ducks were not alarmed.
area before
was started
They
(Arms
1964.
two prominent
one located
to the observer
and
speeds of 57 species.
47-53.
Wood
these observations,
to reach the roosting
to a high
Williams,
between
lists the flight
the
fly along this stretch of river in a relatively
ing site, this particular
rubripes)
Cottam,
29 and 33 miles per hour for four
two evenings
River
(Anas
the flight
were being chased varied
per hour,
at
clypeata)
Duck
vczlisineria).
measured
Ibis, 97:81-117)
miles
our observations,
measured
for a Black
a Canvasback
Wilson Bull., 52:121-131)
(1942.
recorded
55
14
5.3
of 72 miles
Sooter
12
1
1
Average
varied
4
2)
(Table
1 and 2).
were similar
2.4 miles
per
varied
hour
blink.
in a similar
Spier
manner
these two evening
between
The
range
T.
periods.
39 and 55 miles per
to those recorded
faster.-JOHN
(1945.
but was
of speeds recorded
on the first
LOKEMOEN,
evening
Northern.
Prairie Wildlife Research Center, P.O. Box 1672, Jamestown, North Dakota, 9 May 1966.
Erythrism
reported
The
in the wild Turkey.-As
Turkey
(Meleagris
in the wild
plumage
Sarasota
County,
of a hen
Florida
1962. “Handbook
of North
London)
the
making
(specimen
approaches
term
American
erythristic
far as I can determine
erythrism
has not been
gnllopuzx)
No. 45 in my collection)
brownish
Birds.”
red
Vol.
appropriate.
(color
1, Yale
obtained
terminology
IJniv.
in
after
Press, New
1965
from
Palmer,
ed.,
Haven
and