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| *Scoters ''Melanitta'' | *Scoters genus ''Melanitta'' | ||
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| *]s | *]s genus ''Dendrocygna'' | ||
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*Mergansers genus ''Mergus'' | ||
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| *Stifftails Genus ''Oxyura'' | |||
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| The Anseriformes and ]s are basal to neognathous birds, and should follow ]s and ]s in bird classification systems. See the chart below | The Anseriformes and ]s are basal to neognathous birds, and should follow ]s and ]s in bird classification systems. See the chart below | ||
Revision as of 17:33, 19 April 2003
| Ducks | ||||||||||
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| File:Duck thumbnail.jpg A male mallard duck Click for larger image | ||||||||||
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| † see also: Goose, Swan |
Duck is the common name for a number of types of bird in the family Anatidae. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, smaller than swans or geese, 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.
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.
Ducks form a number of groups
- Diving ducks genus Aythya
- Scoters genus Melanitta
- Whistling ducks genus Dendrocygna
- Mergansers genus Mergus
- Perching ducks Aix
- Stifftails Genus Oxyura
The Anseriformes and rails are basal to neognathous birds, and should follow ratites and tinamous in bird classification systems. See the chart below
For further taxonomic comments, see also Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy.
Ducks should not be confused with several types of unrelated birds with similar forms, such as loons or divers, grebes, gallinules, and coots.
Fictional, anthropomorphized ducks: The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen, and Walt Disney's Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck, Daisy Duck, Scrooge McDuck.