# Indian Runner Duck (*Anas platyrhynchos f. domestica*) The Indian Runner Duck is a fun and friendly bird known for its unique upright posture and playful personality. They are great at foraging and love to waddle around looking for tasty treats! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Urban areas, farms - **Also known as:** Runner Duck ![Indian Runner Duck](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Runner-ducks.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bjoern Clauss, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Runner-ducks.jpg) ## Appearance The Indian Runner Duck has a distinctive upright, bottle-shaped body, standing almost vertically on long legs rather than waddling. Its slender neck and erect posture make it look more like a penguin than a typical duck, appearing in various colors like fawn-and-white, black, or blue. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Anas ## Interesting facts - Runner ducks are known for being very active and social farm birds. - These ducks walk so upright, they look like wine bottles with legs! - They originated in Southeast Asia, dating back over 2,000 years! - Unlike most ducks, they prefer to run rather than fly or waddle. ## Special abilities - **Egg-cellent Layer:** Indian Runner Duck can lay up to 300 eggs a year, helping them provide food for humans and perpetuate their breed. - **Upright Sprinter:** Indian Runner Duck has long legs and an erect posture that helps them run quickly across land instead of waddling. - **Pest Patrol:** Indian Runner Duck can diligently forage for slugs and insects, helping them keep gardens naturally free of pests. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 60-80 cm - **Wingspan:** 60-75 cm - **Weight:** 1.5-2.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 8-12 years - **Speed:** 15 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 8-14 - **Incubation:** 28 days ## Diet & Feeding These ducks enjoy a varied diet of plants, insects, and grains found by foraging. - **Primary Foods:** Slugs, Insects, Weeds, Grasses, Grains, Small aquatic invertebrates - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — A common predator on farms and in rural areas. - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — Large raptors can prey on smaller ducks and ducklings. - **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Nocturnal mammal known for preying on poultry and eggs. - **Eats:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Ducks help control garden pests like slugs. - **Eats:** Common Earthworm (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — Earthworms are a common food source for foraging ducks. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch ducks from a distance and don't try to catch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Indian Runner Duck? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Indian Runner Duck? 60-80 cm ### What is Indian Runner Duck's wingspan? 60-75 cm ### How much does Indian Runner Duck weigh? 1.5-2.5 kg ### How long does Indian Runner Duck live? 8-12 years ### How fast can Indian Runner Duck move? 15 km/h ### What does Indian Runner Duck eat? These ducks enjoy a varied diet of plants, insects, and grains found by foraging. ### Where is Indian Runner Duck usually found? Urban areas, farms ## Where to spot - [Arche Warder](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arche-warder) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Zoo - [KALISTO Tierpark & Café](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kalisto-tierpark) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Zoo ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Indian Runner Duck: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/indian-runner-duck)