Why do ducklings walk in single file, while chickens walk in a herd? (5 photos)

It would seem like a typical child's question from an ordinary, observant child. But, like questions like "Why is the sky blue?" and "Why does the sun shine?", it's more complex than it seems at first glance.





They want to be like walking ducklings... Ah, they're ducks after all...

Both ducks and hens are precocial birds. They undergo prolonged embryonic development, during which the mother must spend weeks on her eggs, risking her life and surviving on her fat reserves. But it pays off: their chicks hatch sighted, covered in down, and able to walk immediately after birth. They're also born very hungry.



I'm born! Mom, is there anything to eat? When do I go to school?

Fortunately for precocial birds, their offspring can feed themselves and don't need to fly back and forth ten times a day with a beak full of food. A mother hen, for example, simply gathers a flock of her young around her and heads off to peck at some grain. By watching their mother, the young will quickly learn what's edible and what's not. That's why chicks crowd around their mother, watching her and mimicking her movements.





When you've answered 148 children's questions, and it's not even noon yet.

Ducks are more complicated, as they are waterfowl that feed on aquatic vegetation. The mother needs to get her offspring to a body of water, and she needs to do it as quickly as possible. However, the distance can be hundreds of meters or even kilometers. In this case, delivering these weak and vulnerable chicks becomes an extremely challenging task with only one right solution.



Forward, my little flotilla!

To reach a lake or pond, ducks line up in a line. In front is their mother, who, with her experience, can choose the best route. Next, in line, are the little ones. They don't need to think or try. Just follow the tail of the one in front, and you'll be happy.



But on the water, ducks don't maintain such strict order and easily huddle together.

And the strategy does work, but it can't protect against everything. Only about half of ducklings survive to adulthood. After all, moving in single file doesn't protect against foxes, ferrets, or disease.