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submitted 8 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[-] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Canadian Geese [can't] break bones because of how powerful their wings [aren't-ish-kind-a-sorta] and they're an eighth our size. Imagine one three times bigger lol (3x bigger roast). Sure their bones are fragile, but the muscles that are attached to them sure ain't [not].

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world 6 points 8 months ago

https://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/dogs/curious-questions-can-swan-really-break-arm-190943

The good news is that you can rest easy. Birds that still retain the power of flight are essentially built for lightness rather than solidity, and while a swan can whip up fantastic wing tip speed its bones are too light for there to be any serious heft behind their blows.

'It's a myth that they will break your leg or arm with their wings,’ John Huston of the Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset told the BBC a few years ago. ‘They are not that strong and it’s mostly show and bluster.’