Duck

Duck is the common name for numerous species in the waterfowl

family Anatidae which also includes swans and geese. Ducks are Duck
divided among several subfamilies in the family Anatidae; they do
not represent a monophyletic group (the group of all descendants of
a single common ancestral species) but a form taxon, since swans
and geese are not considered ducks. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds,
mostly smaller than the swans and geese, and may be found in both
fresh water and sea water.

Ducks are sometimes confused with several types of unrelated

water birds with similar forms, such as loons or divers, grebes, Bufflehead
gallinules and coots.
(Bucephala albeola)

Scientific classification
Contents Domain: Eukaryota
Etymology Kingdom: Animalia
Morphology Phylum: Chordata
Behaviour Class: Aves
Feeding
Order: Anseriformes
Breeding
Communication Superfamily: Anatoidea
Distribution and habitat Family: Anatidae
Predators
Subfamilies
Relationship with humans
Domestication See text
Hunting
Cultural references
See also
References
External links

Etymology
The word duck comes from Old English *dūce "diver", a derivative of the verb *dūcan "to duck, bend down
low as if to get under something, or dive", because of the way many species in the dabbling duck group feed
by upending; compare with Dutch duiken and German tauchen "to dive".

This word replaced Old English ened/ænid "duck", possibly to avoid confusion with other Old English words,
like ende "end" with similar forms. Other Germanic languages still have similar words for "duck", for
example, Dutch eend "duck", German Ente "duck" and Norwegian and "duck". The word ened/ænid was
 inherited from Proto-Indo-
European; compare: Latin
anas "duck", Lithuanian
ántis "duck", Ancient Greek
nēssa/nētta (νῆσσα, νῆττα)
"duck", and Sanskrit ātí
"water bird", among others.

A duckling is a young duck

Mallard landing in approach
in downy plumage[1] or baby
duck,[2] but in the food trade
a young domestic duck
Pacific black duck displaying the
which has just reached adult size and bulk and its meat is still fully
characteristic upending "duck".
tender, is sometimes labelled as a duckling.

A male duck is called a drake and the female is called a duck, or in

ornithology a hen.[3][4]

Morphology
The overall body plan of ducks is elongated and broad, and the ducks
are also relatively long-necked, albeit not as long-necked as the geese
and swans. The body shape of diving ducks varies somewhat from
this in being more rounded. The bill is usually broad and contains
serrated pectens, which are particularly well defined in the filter-
feeding species. In the case of some fishing species the bill is long and
strongly serrated. The scaled legs are strong and well developed, and
generally set far back on the body, more so in the highly aquatic
species. The wings are very strong and are generally short and
Male Mandarin duck
pointed, and the flight of ducks requires fast continuous strokes,
requiring in turn strong wing muscles. Three species of steamer duck
are almost flightless, however. Many species of duck are temporarily
flightless while moulting; they seek out protected habitat with good food supplies during this period. This
moult typically precedes migration.

The drakes of northern species often have extravagant plumage, but that is moulted in summer to give a more
female-like appearance, the "eclipse" plumage. Southern resident species typically show less sexual
dimorphism, although there are exceptions such as the paradise shelduck of New Zealand, which is both
strikingly sexually dimorphic and in which the female's plumage is brighter than that of the male. The plumage
of juvenile birds generally resembles that of the female. Over the course of evolution, female ducks have
evolved to have a corkscrew shaped vagina to prevent rape.

Behaviour

Feeding

Ducks eat a variety of food sources such as grasses, aquatic plants, fish, insects, small amphibians, worms, and
small molluscs.
Dabbling ducks feed on the surface of water or on land, or as deep as
they can reach by up-ending without completely submerging.[5]
Along the edge of the beak, there is a comb-like structure called a
pecten. This strains the water squirting from the side of the beak and
traps any food. The pecten is also used to preen feathers and to hold
slippery food items.
Pecten along the beak
Diving ducks and sea ducks forage deep underwater. To be able to
submerge more easily, the diving ducks are heavier than dabbling
ducks, and therefore have more difficulty taking off to fly.

A few specialized species such as the mergansers are adapted to catch

and swallow large fish.

The others have the characteristic wide flat beak adapted to dredging-
type jobs such as pulling up waterweed, pulling worms and small
molluscs out of mud, searching for insect larvae, and bulk jobs such Play media
as dredging out, holding, turning head first, and swallowing a Mallard duckling preening
squirming frog. To avoid injury when digging into sediment it has no
cere, but the nostrils come out through hard horn.

The Guardian (British newspaper) published an article advising that ducks should not be fed with bread
because it damages the health of the ducks and pollutes waterways.[6]

Breeding

Ducks generally only have one partner at a time, although the

partnership usually only lasts one year.[7] Larger species and the more
sedentary species (like fast-river specialists) tend to have pair-bonds
that last numerous years.[8] Most duck species breed once a year,
choosing to do so in favourable conditions (spring/summer or wet
seasons). Ducks also tend to make a nest before breeding, and, after
hatching, lead their ducklings to water. Mother ducks are very caring
and protective of their young, but may abandon some of their
ducklings if they are physically stuck in an area they cannot get out of
A Muscovy duckling.
(such as nesting in an enclosed courtyard) or are not prospering due to
genetic defects or sickness brought about by hypothermia, starvation,
or disease. Ducklings can also be orphaned by inconsistent late
hatching where a few eggs hatch after the mother has abandoned the nest and led her ducklings to water.[9]
Most domestic ducks neglect their eggs and ducklings, and their eggs must be hatched under a broody hen or
artificially.

Communication

Female mallard ducks (as well as several other species in the genus Anas, such as the American and Pacific
black ducks) make the classic "quack" sound while males make a similar but raspier sound that is sometimes
written as "breeeeze",[10] but, despite widespread misconceptions, most species of duck do not "quack".[11] In
general, ducks make a wide range of calls, ranging from whistles, cooing, yodels and grunts. For example, the
scaup – which are diving ducks – make a noise like "scaup" (hence their name). Calls may be loud displaying
calls or quieter contact calls.
A common urban legend claims that duck quacks do not echo; however, this has been proven to be false. This
myth was first debunked by the Acoustics Research Centre at the University of Salford in 2003 as part of the
British Association's Festival of Science.[12] It was also debunked in one of the earlier episodes of the popular
Discovery Channel television show MythBusters.[13]

Distribution and habitat

The ducks have a cosmopolitan distribution. A number of species

manage to live on sub-Antarctic islands like South Georgia and the
Auckland Islands. Numerous ducks have managed to establish
themselves on oceanic islands such as Hawaii, New Zealand and
Kerguelen, although many of these species and populations are
threatened or have become extinct.

Some duck species, mainly those breeding in the temperate and Arctic
Northern Hemisphere, are migratory; those in the tropics, however, Flying steamer ducks in Ushuaia,
are generally not. Some ducks, particularly in Australia where rainfall Argentina
is patchy and erratic, are nomadic, seeking out the temporary lakes
and pools that form after localised heavy rain.[14]

Predators

Worldwide, ducks have many predators. Ducklings are particularly

vulnerable, since their inability to fly makes them easy prey not only
for predatory birds but also for large fish like pike, crocodilians,
predatory testudines such as the Alligator snapping turtle, and other
aquatic hunters, including fish-eating birds such as herons. Ducks'
nests are raided by land-based predators, and brooding females may Female Mallard in Cornwall, UK.
be caught unaware on the nest by mammals, such as foxes, or large
birds, such as hawks or owls.

Adult ducks are fast fliers, but may be caught on the water by large
aquatic predators including big fish such as the North American
muskie and the European pike. In flight, ducks are safe from all but a
few predators such as humans and the peregrine falcon, which
regularly uses its speed and strength to catch ducks.

Relationship with humans Ringed teal

Domestication

Ducks have many economic uses, being farmed for their meat, eggs, and feathers (particularly their down).
Approximately 3 billion ducks are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide.[15] They are also kept and bred
by aviculturists and often displayed in zoos. Almost all the varieties of domestic ducks are descended from the
mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), apart from the Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata).[16][17] The call duck is
another example of a domestic duck breed. Its name comes from its original use established by hunters, as a
decoy to attract wild mallards from the sky, into traps set for them on the ground. The call duck is the world's
smallest domestic duck breed, as it weighs less than 1 kg (2.2 lb).[18]
Hunting

In many areas, wild ducks of various species (including ducks farmed

and released into the wild) are hunted for food or sport,[19] by
shooting, or formerly by being trapped using duck decoys. Because
an idle floating duck or a duck squatting on land cannot react to fly or
move quickly, "a sitting duck" has come to mean "an easy target".
These ducks may be contaminated by pollutants such as PCBs.[20]

Cultural references

In 2002, psychologist Richard Wiseman and colleagues at the American Pekin ducks, a common
University of Hertfordshire, UK, finished a year-long LaughLab breed of domestic ducks
experiment, concluding that of all animals, ducks attract the most
humor and silliness; he said, "If you're going to tell a joke involving
an animal, make it a duck."[21] The word "duck" may have become an inherently funny word in many
languages, possibly because ducks are seen as silly in their looks or behavior. Of the many ducks in fiction,
many are cartoon characters, such as Walt Disney's Donald Duck, and Warner Bros.' Daffy Duck. Howard the
Duck started as a comic book character in 1973 and was made into a movie in 1986.

The 1992 Disney film The Mighty Ducks, starring Emilio Estevez, chose the duck as the mascot for the
fictional youth hockey team who are protagonists of the movie, based on the duck being described as a fierce
fighter. This led to the duck becoming the nickname and mascot for the eventual National Hockey League
professional team Anaheim Ducks. The duck is also the nickname of the University of Oregon sports teams as
well as the Long Island Ducks minor league baseball team.

See also
Duckwalk
Duck crossing
Duck face
Duck test
List of duck breeds
List of fictional ducks
Rubber duck
United Poultry Concerns
Donald Duck

References
1. "Duckling" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/duckling). The American Heritage Dictionary
of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. 2006. Retrieved
2015-05-22.
2. "Duckling" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/duckling). Kernerman English Multilingual
Dictionary (Beta Version). K. Dictionaries Ltd. 2000–2006. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
3. Dohner, Janet Vorwald (2001). The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and
Poultry Breeds (https://books.google.com/books?id=WJCTL_mC5w4C&q=male+duck+is+calle
d+a+drake+and+the+female+is+called+a+duck&pg=PA457). Yale University Press. ISBN 978-
0300138139.
 4. Visca, Curt; Visca, Kelley (2003). How to Draw Cartoon Birds (https://books.google.com/book
s?id=VqSquCLNrZcC&q=male+duck+is+called+a+drake+and+the+female+is+called+a+duck
+%28or+hen%29&pg=PA16). The Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 9780823961566.
5. Ogden, Evans. "Dabbling Ducks" (https://www.sfu.ca/biology/wildberg/species/dabbducks.htm
l). CWE. Retrieved 2006-11-02.
6. Karl Mathiesen (16 March 2015). "Don't feed the ducks bread, say conservationists" (https://ww
w.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/16/dont-feed-the-ducks-bread-say-conservationists).
The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
7. Rohwer, Frank C.; Anderson, Michael G. (1988). "Female-Biased Philopatry, Monogamy, and
the Timing of Pair Formation in Migratory Waterfowl". Current Ornithology. pp. 187–221.
doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-6787-5_4 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4615-6787-5_4).
ISBN 978-1-4615-6789-9.
8. Cyndi M. Smith, Fred Cooke, Gregory J. Robertson, R. Ian Goudie, and W. Sean Boyd (2000)
LONG-TERM PAIR BONDS IN HARLEQUIN DUCKS. The Condor: February 2000, Vol. 102,
No. 1, pp. 201-205.
9. "If You Find An Orphaned Duckling - Wildlife Rehabber" (https://wildliferehabber.com/content/if-
you-find-duckling). wildliferehabber.com.
10. Carver, Heather (2011). The Duck Bible (https://books.google.com/books?id=VGofAwAAQBAJ
&q=mallard+sound+deep+and+raspy&pg=PA39). Lulu.com. ISBN 9780557901562.
11. Titlow, Budd (2013-09-03). Bird Brains: Inside the Strange Minds of Our Fine Feathered
Friends (https://books.google.com/books?id=fXJBBAAAQBAJ&q=Females+of+most+dabbling
+ducks+make+the+classic+%22quack%22+sound+but+most+ducks+don%27t+quack&pg=PA
123). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780762797707.
12. Amos, Jonathan (2003-09-08). "Sound science is quackers" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/scienc
e/nature/3086890.stm). BBC News. Retrieved 2006-11-02.
13. "Mythbusters Episode 8" (http://mythbustersresults.com/episode8). 12 December 2003.
14. "Pacific Black Duck" (http://www.wiresnr.org/pacificblackduck.html). www.wiresnr.org.
Retrieved 2018-04-27.
15. "FAOSTAT" (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QL). www.fao.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
16. "Anas platyrhynchos, Domestic Duck; DigiMorph Staff - The University of Texas at Austin" (htt
p://digimorph.org/specimens/anas_platyrhynchos/skull/). Digimorph.org. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
17. Sy Montgomery. "Mallard; Encyclopædia Britannica" (http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-36030
2/mallard). Britannica.com. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
18. Glenday, Craig (2014). Guinness World Records (https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0
000unse_r3e7/page/135). pp. 135 (https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_r3e7/
page/135). ISBN 978-1-908843-15-9.
19. Livingston, A. D. (1998-01-01). Guide to Edible Plants and Animals (https://books.google.com/b
ooks?id=NViSMffyaSgC&q=%C2%A0%C2%A0In+many+areas,+wild+ducks+of+various+spec
ies+are+hunted+for+food+or+sport). Wordsworth Editions, Limited. ISBN 9781853263774.
20. "Study plan for waterfowl injury assessment: Determining PCB concentrations in Hudson river
resident waterfowl" (https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/wfp09a.pdf) (PDF). New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation. US Department of Commerce.
December 2008. p. 3. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
21. Young, Emma. "World's funniest joke revealed" (https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2876-w
orlds-funniest-joke-revealed/). New Scientist. Retrieved 7 January 2019.

External links
Media related to the Anatidae (http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/ducks-geese-swans-anatidae) on
the Internet Bird Collection
 list of books (https://web.archive.org/web/20060613210555/http://seaducks.org/subjects/MIGRA
TION%20AND%20FLIGHT.htm) (useful looking abstracts)
Ducks on postage stamps (http://www.stampsbook.org/subject/Duck.html)

Ducks at a Distance, by Rob Hines (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18884) at Project

Gutenberg - A modern illustrated guide to identification of US waterfowl

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