Ducks are aquatic birds of the family Anatidae characterized by broad, flat bills and specialized webbed feet for swimming. These water birds are smaller, and they have shorter necks in comparison to their relatives (geese and swans). Because of their similar forms, ducks are also confused with unrelated birds like loons, gallinules, coots, and grebes.
Scientific Classification
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
Anseriformes
Anatidae
Scientific Classification
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
Anseriformes
Anatidae
Types of Ducks
List of Common Types of Duck Species
Aside from
the hundreds of domestic duck breeds that are specifically developed for eggs,
meat, or their exotic appearance, ornithologists and birders have officially
recognized over 120 wild duck species that are mentioned in the list below:
Ducks can be
identified based on these physical characteristics:
Size: Their size varies, ranging from the
smallest Eurasian teal measuring 20-30 cm (7.9-11.8 in) to the largest common
eider having a length of 50-71 cm (20-28 in).
Duck Image
Weight: The average weight of ducks ranges
between 320-340 g (11-12 oz) and 1.92-2.21 kg (4.2-4.9 lb).
Body: Ducks usually have an elongated and
broad body, although the diving ducks have a more rounded shape.
Bill: They have broad, flat bills
comprising comb-like serrated structures on the edges.
Legs: Their legs are scaled and well-developed,
set far back on their bodies.
Wings: These aquatic birds are
characterized by short, pointed, and extremely powerful wings.
Distribution
Ducks are
found all across the world. Its range includes sub-Antarctic islands such as
the Auckland Islands and South Georgia. Different duck species live on oceanic
islands like Kerguelen, New Zealand, and Hawaii.
What kind of Habitats do Ducks live in
They typically
live in marshes, wetlands, ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans, where they seek
out a safe natural environment with good food supply, especially during molting.
Duck Habitat
How long do they live
Ducks live
for about 2-12 years, depending on the type of species. The mallard, for
example, has an average lifespan of about 5-10 years in the wild.
What do they eat
Ducks are
omnivorous water birds, and they feed on a wide range of food sources including
aquatic plants, grasses, insects, fish, worms, small mollusks, and amphibians.
Few species, like the mergansers, are adapted to capture and eat large fish.
Behavior
Dabbling
ducks take their food on land or the surface of the water, or by reaching as
deep as they can without completely submerging. Sea ducks and diving ducks, on
the other hand, feed by diving deep underwater.
To
keep themselves clean, ducks often preen themselves by pushing their heads and putting
their bills into the body.
They
make different types of calls, including cooing, whistling, grunting, and
yodeling. Scaup, for example, makes a call that sounds like ‘scaup’ whereas the
mallard makes the typical ‘quack’ sound and another rough noise called the
‘breeeeze’.
Many
duck species, including the mallard, migrate during the winter months to somewhere
warmer.
Ducks
possess an oily coating that keeps water from settling in their feathers,
helping them in staying dry and keeping themselves warm.
Their
webbed feet, designed like paddles, provide more surface area to push against
the water and help them swim.
The
comb-like structure, called pecten, present along the edge of their beak is
adapted to hold slippery food and to preen feathers.
They
have specialized flat beak suitable for searching insect larvae and pulling
small mollusks, worms, and waterweed out of the mud.
Female Duck
How do they Reproduce and Mate
Ducks are
monogamous, meaning they form pairs with one partner at a time and the
partnership lasts for one year. Larger and sedentary species like the torrent
duck, however, stay in pairs for many years.
Most ducks
mate once a year, usually in spring, summer, or rainy seasons. Before breeding,
the female builds a nest, and, after her eggs hatch, she leads her ducklings to
water. The eggs usually hatch about 28-35 days after the beginning of
incubation.
The mother
takes care of her baby ducks, but she may abandon some of her ducklings if they
have sickness and are not prospering.
Male Duck
What do the Baby Ducks look like
Baby ducks
hatch from eggs with their eyes open and have a warm layer of thin and delicate
feathers. The ducklings are not entirely dependent on their mother for food and
can leave their nest within a few hours of hatching.
Duckling
Conservation
The IUCN
Species Survival Commission has a duck specialist group that works on
monitoring, conservation, research, and management of duck populations in the
wild.
Duck-FAQs
1. Can ducks fly?
Not all
ducks can fly. For example, three steamer duck species are flightless. They run
across water and thrash their wings like the paddle wheels of a steamboat.
2. Do ducks have teeth?
Ducks do not
have teeth, but their bills have serrated edges (called pecten) that look like
teeth.
3. What do baby ducks eat?
Ducklings
feed on seagrass, weeds, and waterside plants.
4. What is a group of ducks called?
A flock,
brace, team, raft, or paddling
5. What is a baby duck called?
A duckling
6. What is a female duck called?
A hen
7. What is a male duck called?
A drake
Baby Duck
Interesting Facts
Contrary to popular belief, researchers have proven that duck quacks do echo.
Among the numerous predators that ducks have, large fish like the European pike and North American musky catch them on the water. Ducks in flight are preyed upon by the peregrine falcon.
Donald Duck, Howard the Duck, and Daffy Duck are some of the notable duck characters in the world of animation and fiction.
