Types Of Ducks

What are the different types of ducks? They’re very many types of ducks which can be classified according to their way of life. This includes the kind of food they eat, their habitat, the nature of their beaks and how their feet are structured. Primarily, the existing types of ducks can be broadly categorized as wild or domestic. Domestic ducks are treated as poultry and have their needs catered for by a farmer; wild ducks are fend for themselves when it comes down to matters of securing feed and shelter. There are some other distinctive features which can be used to classify ducks into different categories. Some of these categories include:

The diving ducks – These ducks are mostly found in water and they have the ability to dive deep under water looking for food. Examples are the golden eye and the scaups. The golden eye has got some unique characteristics such as a big and round head, yellow eyes and it nests in cavities found in trees.

The eider – they are mostly found at the Arctic and they are adapted to cold regions e.g. the king eider

The merganser – They have a specialized beak for catching fish as this is their primary food. Their bills are hooked and they are generally slim.

The perching ducks – They perch regularly and hence the name. They have well-developed feet i.e. webbed feet and some examples of this types of ducks are the mandarin wood, pink-eared etc.

The domestic ducks – These are ducks kept at home and have also experienced a high degree of hybridization with both domestic and wild birds. In most cases they are always in large numbers. It’s also possible to domesticate other wild ducks however it might take a lot of time and there just may be a lot of hindrances, such as the fear of bringing ravaging diseases from the wild population into the domestic ducks.

The sea duck – These types of ducks are usually found along the coastal region since sea or ocean is their primary habitat. Although they spend most of their time in the sea, they migrate to the inland region when they are just about to nest. In addition to the normal feature of any ordinary ducks, they have some special glands which help them to tolerate salty water. Examples of these kinds of ducks include the golden eye and the eiders.

The stiff tail duck – These ducks have a very special tail which helps them to maneuver their way in water. They also have a unique habit of marking their own territory and this is through the help of their tail which they set at a given angle. Examples of these types of ducks include the masked duck and the ruddy duck.

The dabbling ducks – These ducks feed on both plants and insects. They have very special beaks which enables them to obtain their food in shallow water and in mud. An example is the mallard duck. The list of ducks is not limited to the ones mentioned above, it is such a long list.