We’ve not so much of a guest photo today as a guest pondering. It was brought to the attention of chickenmonkeydog that ducks, when crossing the road, if approached by a vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed, do not see fit to fly away.
Why is this? Ducks have the ability to fly. Other birds fly to avoid being hit. Why don’t ducks?
What do those ducks know???
It is driving me crazy!
Thanks to a reader from Wisconsin for contributing the thought that inspired this post!
I also have noticed that geese are not that likely to fly out of the way of a moving vehicle — perhaps ducks and geese are just not that smart. Or, maybe they are smart, and know that most people will slow down to avoid hitting them.
i have also noticed that some dogs like to eat dirt and string and it tears up their stomach. can we add this to the subject matter being pondered……..why do some animals do stupid things?
Maybe a duck can duck an approaching vehicle anyway.
@ Meaghan –
Don’t geese fly into jet engines with some regularity? That strikes me as a particularly hazardous approach to air travel.
As for car-to-bird collisions, I have little respect for anything that can fly hundreds (if not thousands?) of feet into the air and yet gets hit by something that is no more than 20 feet tall.
@ Pat –
Where is Marlin Perkins when you need him? Surely he would know the answer. Or maybe David Attenborough can help?
@ Priyank –
Welcome, welcome. Thanks for the joke! I laughed aloud when I read your words.
@ Liam,
Again, maybe geese are smarter than we give them credit for being — perhaps the “accidents” they cause airlines are in fact coordinated attacks by the geese of the world — attempting to clear THEIR sky of annoying aircraft!
Liam.
Are you calling those aircraft impacting flyers suicide geese?
@ am –
I suppose they are in fact ‘suicide geese’ by the mere fact that they kill themselves by flying into jet engines. However, I am afraid that I am just not that well versed in the political leanings and movements of the goose world to be able to claim that these geese are ‘suicide geese’ in the sense of a ‘suicide bomber’.