Can you track down every one of the Ducks?
A slow office morning turns into a challenge
If you’ve ever found yourself twiddling your thumbs at work, a viral puzzle has been making the rounds online as a quick way to pass the time. The challenge is simple on paper: count how many ducks are in one image. In practice, it’s far more difficult than it looks.
What people see at first glance
The puzzle was shared on Twitter by Daniel Newman.
At first look, the image seems to contain just 9 duck emojis—easy enough to count.
Why the puzzle is harder than it looks
When people look closer, they notice the image hides additional ducks in clever ways, including:
- Mini ducks hidden inside other ducks
- Ducks partially concealed behind other ducks
That’s why many people report getting stuck even after multiple attempts.
How online puzzlers reacted
The brainteaser quickly frustrated plenty of viewers. Some responses included:
- “I gave up trying to count.”
- “It’s making my eyes go funny!”
The reveal: the correct number of ducks
If you couldn’t find them all, you weren’t alone. According to Twitter user Kait Julia, the total number is 15 ducks.
She explained the trick is that the image includes:
- The obvious 9 ducks
- Several ducks with tiny ducks hidden on them
- A couple of ducks with another duck hiding behind them
Why people love puzzles like this
This kind of visual challenge spreads quickly because it:
- Looks easy at first (which pulls you in)
- Forces you to double-check details
- Creates debate as people compare counts and “spot” new hidden ducks
Final Answer: There are 15 ducks in total.
