Animals: Bird Speeds

When a flock of teal or broadbill flares past, most duck gunners would swear— especially if they have missed their shots— that the birds were moving 75 to 100 m. p. h. Last week May Thacher Cook, junior biologist of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, braved duck gunners' indignation. She announced that wild fowl speeds had been carefully paced by plane, automobile and timing device. Ducks and geese, said Biologist Cook, seldom have a higher cruising speed than 40 m. p. h. As far as she knew, the swiftest bird timed...

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