Duck

I

Introduction

Duck, a water bird with webbed feet, short legs, and a broad, flat beak. Ducks belong to the same family—waterfowl—as geese and swans. But most ducks have smaller bodies and shorter necks and legs than geese or swans. In general male ducks are brighter in color and more boldly patterned than female ducks, whereas in geese and swans both sexes look alike. Male ducks are called drakes, female ducks are called hens or ducks, and baby ducks are called ducklings.

II

Range and Habitat

Ducks live on all continents except Antarctica, and they inhabit most of the world’s islands. Most ducks live near ponds, rivers, wetlands, or other places with freshwater. Some ducks inhabit saltwater bays, river mouths, or seas. Ducks that nest in cold or temperate (mild) climate zones usually migrate to warmer waters for the winter. Some fly from Alaska or northern Canada all the way to Central or South America. Eider ducks inhabit cold, northern waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans year round.

III

Kinds of Ducks

Experts disagree on the classification of ducks, but there are some obvious groupings based on physical characteristics or behavior. There are about 150 species of ducks. Ducks that live free in nature are known as wild ducks; ducks kept as farm animals or pets are domestic ducks.

IV

Dabbling, Diving, and Perching Ducks

Two of the largest groups of ducks are the dabbling ducks and the diving ducks. Dabbling ducks feed largely near the surface of the water. They prefer shallow waters where they can upend their bodies to reach food on the bottom. They are often found in ponds, creeks, and shallow lakes. Diving ducks plunge underwater to feed and may dive deep. They prefer deeper, more open waters, such as large lakes, bays, and seas or oceans.

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Mallards are the most familiar dabbling ducks in North America, and the most common ducks in the world. Other common dabblers are gadwalls, pintails, teals, and wigeons. Shelducks are common surface-feeders of Africa, Asia, and Europe, although they are not usually classified as dabblers. Diving ducks include canvasbacks, goldeneyes, redheads, ring-necked ducks, and scaup. Other ducks that dive but are not classified as divers include mergansers and ruddy ducks. The stiff tail feathers of the ruddy duck act like a rudder when the duck swims underwater.

Perching ducks have long tails and short legs and can sit in trees, although they rarely do. The wood duck is an example of a perching duck. It builds its nest in trees or logs. Diving, dabbling, and perching ducks are sometimes classified as a subfamily. Other subfamilies include whistling ducks; stiff-tail and freckled ducks; shelducks; and eiders, scoters, mergansers, and other sea ducks.

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