Bird World Site

Australasian Grebe

We all are familiar with ducks. Ducks are the members of the family Anatidae and belong to the class Aves. They should non be confused with the large birds like the swans and geese. Ducks are small aquatic birds inhabiting both fresh and ocean waters. Ducks ar sometimes confused with grebes and coots. The word duck has originated from the Old English word duce which means diver. Baby ducks ar called as ducklings but in food trade the adult ducks which ar ready to undergo roasting are called as ducklings.

Body of a duck is broad and elongated with long and flexible neck like that of bigger birds. The body shape of the diving ducks is somewhat rounded in shape. Bill or beak is somewhat broad and covered with serrated lamellae adapted for filter feeding. The bill is long and powerfully serrated in the fishing species. Legs ar provided with scales and are placed somewhat on the back side of the body. Wings are strong, short and pointed and the flight in ducks consists of fast continuous strokes which require speedy movement of the flight muscles. Three species of the streamer ducks ar completely flightless. Many species remain temporarily flightless during moulting and during this period they require good food supply and protective places to hide. This moult typically precedes migration.

Australasian Grebe

Drakes of northern species have extravagant plumage but the southerly species show less sexual dimorphism. Paradise Shelduck of New Zealand shows well developed sexual dimorphism where the plumage of distaff is very much bright in comparison to that of male. Plumage of ducklings generally resembles with that of the female. Ducks prefer to feed on a wide variety of food sources like grasses, insects, fish, aquatic plants, small amphibians, worms and other molluscs. Diving ducks and the ocean ducks forage underwater. Body of diving ducks is somewhat heavier than the dabbling ducks so they are unable to fly. Dabbling ducks feed on the materials present on the surface of water of they capture food on land. At the edge of the beak there is a comb-like structure known as pecten. It acts like strainer and helps in food capture. Pecten is also utilized in preening.

Australasian Grebe

Some species like smew and the goosanders ar capable to catch and swallow large fishes. Other species have flat beaks for pulling up waterweed, pulling mud and small molluscs, insects and other worms. Ducks are monogamous and this bond continues for one year only. Larger and more sedentary species have long lasting pair bonds. Most species tend to breed once in year under favourable conditions. The sound produced by ducks is called quacking and it is known that the females of most dabbling species quack. Diving ducks scaup. Ducks have a wide range of calls like whistle cooing, yodels and grunt. Calls may be loud or quite contact calls.

They ar cosmopolitan in distribution occurring in all parts of the world except Antarctica. Some species have been found to inhabit sub-Antarctic islands like South Georgia and Auckland Islands. Few species are also noticed to inhabit the oceanic islands while few are threatened or have become extinct. Some species are migratory especially those belonging to the Arctic Northern Hemisphere. Tropical species do not migrate astatine all. Australian duck species form loose patches during the rainy season. Many animals predate upon ducks. The ducklings ar very vulnerable to be attacked by predators. Foxes, eagles, crocodiles are common enemies of ducks. Though the adult ducks ar strong fliers but may be captured by their enemies on the surface of water and on land. Ducks share a number of economic uses.

Australasian Grebe

They ar farmed for meat, egg and feathers. They are kept and bred by the aviculturists and are also displayed in zoos. Wild ducks ar also consumed as food in many parts of world. Ducks are also a part of fable like the Donald Duck which is a famous cartoon character and appeared in Walt Disney for the first time in 1934. Daffy Duck is a also a famous cartoon character in the Warner Brothersfilms.

Ducks are cute animals making our surroundings beautiful.