15 Long-haul migrants Many geese travel vast distances each year in order to breed. They can maintain a speed of up to 55 kph (35 mph) for many hours without stopping. Their wings are long and broad to provide the lift needed to keep the birds airborne. Waterproof wings The pintail duck waterproofs its wings with oil pro duced by a gland on its back. Lesser white- fronted goose Median and lesser coverts Primary flight feathers Shoveler wing Speculum Strong primary flight feathers Broad wing surface gives maximum lift for take-off and long-distance flight Lesser white- fronted goose wing Wing point Speculum Primary coverts Pintail wing Pintail Beating wings Ducks and geese beat their wings constantly during flight. Rapid transit A migrating duck can travel up to 1,600 km (1,000 miles) in a day. Many ducks, such as the shoveler, have a coloured patch on each wing called a speculum, possibly to help them identify their species when flocking. Primary coverts