Out of all of the ducks and geese, Tapper, our female Muscovy duck, is the only one who can fly. Even Zaruma, the Muscovy drake, can’t fly even though he is supposed to be able to. So, because I put all of them into their yards for the night, it always amazes me to find Tapper outside the next morning, having a lovely time all by herself.
For weeks I had assumed Tapper simply flew up and over the high fence of the yard, but I had never seen her do it. During the day I would often see her fly off the ground (to a height of around 2 feet) and horizontally across the lawn, but the yard fences are very high now (about 7 feet) so, one evening, after locking the gang in, I sat and watched because I wanted to see her fly vertically up and over fence.
I watched and waited from a bit of a distance. Then Tapper did her trick and, when I saw her do it, I couldn’t stop laughing because she doesn’t fly up and over; she actually climbs the fence using her big webbed feet and her wings to flap herself upward. Then she sits on the fence, like this.
Sometimes Tapper poses on top of the fence for ages, swaying back and forth (she can do this for over an hour!), as if to say to the others, ‘You think I’m a little squirt, but now I’m the biggest – nyahnyahnyah!!!’
She has the most incredible sense of balance!
jmgoyder 
Hahaha that’s awesome! I love when animals do things that seem out of the ordinary.
I have a video camera but haven’t learned how to use it yet – I will eventually video her fence-climbing routine – ha!
Gotta love her determination. And what a pay-off. She leaves everyone else in her dust.
Yeah, after weeks of sitting on them, she left her eggs for dust too!
Love Tapper!!! Hope storm is over?? xo
Worst of the storm is over – I think!
Now you know.
Oh wow – she is a marvel. What a sight it must be. Of course video would be impossible at night and that’s a great shame 😉
Hi,
That is unreal, who would of thought ducks could climb. 🙂
I didn’t know either!
he he he… this is amazing. Thanks and Love, nia
Haha Tapper! You might think the other ducks would pick up the trick.
My Binki is a climber too. She is not clipped, and an excellent flyer, but she will use her beak and feet and crawl all the way up my pants leg and the back of my shirt, to get to my shoulder. Strange little chicken 🙂
I love your Binki!
I love my Bink too 🙂
I would love to see a video of a duck climbing!
I will try!
ha, ha…that’s great!
Ha! That’s funny. When I worked at the guest ranch I was surprised to see the Muscovy ducks on the roof of the barn. Didn’t know that they could fly! I read a story about Goldeneye ducklings hatching in a chimney and the person was wondering how they got out. he observed them actually climbing up the chimney then flew, more like tumbled to the ground, seemingly unscathed.
Your story of the chimney ducks means I can’t enter Tapper into the Guinness Book of Records – alas – she is not unique after all – ha!!
We have lots of Muscovys around, and I get to see them fly now and then. Did you know they were domesticated by the Aztecs and Mayans? Cool story. I saw a mama with babies down at a restaurant last Saturday – people really like them and will save bits of toast and biscuit to feed them after breakfast.
I didn’t know any of that – thank you!
[…] yesterday my blogging friend wrote a post about her duck that climbs fences: https://jmgoyder.com/2012/06/13/sitting-on-the-fence/ and I commented that my little chicken, Binki climbs me So I thought I’d post a picture […]
I didn’t know there was a duck that couldn’t fly!
I used to think they all flew – silly me! Yeah but lots of ducks fly don’t they?
haha – Houdini duck – how funny
She is a real character!
Love her determination and individualism!
She is one quirky quacker!