Mallard ducks have been clocked at 50 - 60 mph.
Ordinary flight is around 40-55 mph for most ducks. (Add an additional 10-12 mph when chased.) Canvasbacks, when chased, have reached 72 mph.
The red-breasted merganser is the fastest duck ever recorded, attaining a top airspeed of 100 mph while being pursued by an airplane. A Grumman G-73 Turbo-Mallard cruises at about 180 mph.
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They 'run' on the water, kind of like plane taxies down the runway before taking off. Then they takeoff into the air.