Duck
Dendrocygninae
Oxyurinae
Anatinae
Merginae
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Duck is the common name for a number of types of bird in the family
Anatidae. The ducks are divided between several different subfamilies of the Anatidae; see that article for a full listing. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than their relatives the
swans and
geese, and may be found in both
fresh and
salt water.
Ducks exploit a variety of food sources such as
grasses,
grains and
water plants,
fish,
insects, and the like. The sound made by ducks is called a "quack"; a common
urban legend is that quacks do not produce an echo.
The males (drakes) of northern species often have showy
plumage, but this is
moulted in summer to give a more female-like appearance, the "eclipse" plumage. In many species, adult males are temporarily flightless; these birds seek out protected habitat with good food supplies during this period. This moult typically precedes
migration.
Some species of duck, mainly those breeding in the temperate and arctic northern hemisphere, are migratory, but others are not. Some, particularly in
Australia where rainfall is patchy and erratic, are nomadic, seeking out the temporary lakes and pools that form after localised heavy rain.
Ducks have many domestic uses, being
farmed for their
meat,
eggs, and
feathers and
down. In particular, eiderdown is notable for being shed by wild
eider ducks rather than being plucked. In many areas, ducks of various species are also hunted for food or sport.
Ducks should not be confused with several types of unrelated birds with similar forms, such as
loons or divers,
grebes,
gallinules, and
coots.
See also
Fictional ducks
