One of my son's favorite books right now is The Ugly Duckling. He's 8 months old and has recently taken to touching the swans when they appear in the later parts of the book. This interest inspired me to do a post on their family: Anatidae. The format of this one will be more general facts about the family as a whole then I'll dive into the species of ducks and geese I've seen. Unfortunately, I've never seen a swan in real life but maybe this year will be my year! Let's get into it.
Anatidae is the family that consists of ducks, geese, and swans. This family has a cosmopolitan distribution which means they're found on every continent except for Antarctica. There are about 174 species.
Members of this family are herbivores and what they eat specifically differs between species. I didn't know there were different ways that ducks feed. The types I have catalogued are divers which is pretty self explanatory and dabbling ducks which feed at the surface of the water. Geese, unlike ducks, primarly feed on land.
Ducks, geese, and swans are medium to large sized depending on the species. Diving species differ a bit because they tend to be rounder. That fact is relevant because most of the ducks I've seen are of the diving variety. Their wings are short and pointed with strong muscles to help them with flying long stretches for migration. Many species migrate thousands of miles between breeding and wintering grounds so they need all the muscle they can get! Their feathers are essentially waterproof thanks to oils they secrete. They tend to have long necks and webbed feet, set farther back on their bodies. This is why they're excellent swimmers but waddle on land.
Many ducks display sexual dimorphism, which I touched upon in one of my first posts to the blog. It just means that the males tend to be more brightly colored while the females are more muted. Swans and geese do not have sexual dimorphism.
They are very loud birds! They have an array of noises including honks, quacks, squeaks and trumpets. Depending on the species, the females have a deeper voice than the males. I couldn't find why but I assume its so the females can hear the males better during their mating rituals.
The anatids are generally seasonal and monogamous, meaning they only have one partner. How monogamous depends on the species! Many ducks bond for a single season while larger birds like swans and geese keep their partner for years, sometimes even for life. It was interesting to learn that most species are only equipped to mate on the water.
Their nests are made essentially from whatever they find that they think will be useful. Many species pluck some of the mother duck's downy feathers to add as well. Mothers are usually the ones to watch over the eggs. Young ducks are quite mobile and can feed themselves quite quickly after hatching.
The first anatid I want to touch on is probably the most common, the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). This is the only dabbling duck I've recorded. All the others are of the diving variety. They eat a variety of things and are known to be omnivores. Males have green heads while females are brown. Both sexes have a band called a speculum. They are monogamous breeders.
Note: These are my photos of the mallards at the park about an hour or so away from our home. Aren't they beautiful? You can see the sexual dimorphism, speculum, and a group of them sleeping together.
They have a wide range and occupy both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Northern birds migrate south to escape the cold winters. They can live in a variety of habitats from the Arctic tundra to the subtropics. Mallards can be found in both fresh and salt water and they tend to be attracted to less deep water with aquatic vegetation.
The next few species I want to touch on are all of the diving sort. I'm practicing my bird photography so bear with me but I think I got some decent photos.
We'll start with the Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus). They're already different than the mallards because they are diving ducks and they eat fish, although they also consume vegetation. Most studies report that its diet is usually dominated by fish (44–81%). It also feeds on aquatic insects (13–20%) and other aquatic invertebrates such as crabs and crayfish (22 to 50%). They are also sexually dimorphic although I was only able to catch a photo of the male.
Note: Here are a couple photos of the male we saw. He was at the same park that the mallards were, just at the other end of the lake.
They live on small bodies of water like lakes and ponds but also occupy wetlands, impoundments, flooded timber, and rivers. They prefer freshwater. They are monogamous and the females make nests in dead trees or artificial nest boxes.
Next up the Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula). They are aggressive and territorial ducks. Year round, about 32% of their prey is crustaceans, 28% is aquatic insects, and 10% is mollusks. I found it interesting that they eat more insects while nesting and more crustaceans during migration and winter. I'm sure that has something to do with needing more energy for migration.
Note: Below are a couple pictures of what I think is one male and two females floating along the river near my home. We were out looking for plants that day and stumbled upon the birds just floating on by.
They're found in lakes and rivers across Canada, the Northern United States, Scotland, Scandinavia, the Baltic Seas, and Northern Russia. They come to places similar to where I live to breed then winter in protected coastal waters or open inland waters in more temperate areas.
They nest in large cavities in trees which they return to each year but they will also use nest boxes. As you can see in the photos above, like the other ducks, they are also sexually dimorphic.
The final diving duck on our list is the ring necked duck (Aythya collaris). Like Mallards, they are omnivores. I think it's pretty cool to note that their diet changes as they age. Ducklings are dependent on insects, earthworms, leeches, midges and snails. Mature birds change to submerged plants and emergents like annual rice and snails.
I'm happy to report I captured a photo of both the male and female who also exhibit sexual dimorphism. I think they were a mating pair but I'm not completely sure.
Note: The first photo is of the male and the second set of photos are of the female.
Their breeding habitat is wooded lakes or ponds in Canada and the Northern United States. I saw them on the same lake as the Mallards and Merganser. It's a hotspot for anatids, apparently!
During breeding the pairs only stay together for reproduction before parting ways which makes them different from all our other duck species we've touched upon today. Their nests are bowl shaped and on the water in dense vegetation with sedges and woody plants.
Our final anatid is the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) which I've always mistaken as the Canadian Goose. It's native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America but has been introduced in many places including the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands.
They are herbivores and are often found on or near the water. They eat grasses and grains on land and aquatic plants while in the water.
Canada geese are pretty skilled at living in human altered areas and establish breeding colonies in urban habitats. This arrangement provides them food and protects them from predators. Some people see them as pests but it's partially the fault of people who feed them.
These geese breed in Canada and the northern United States in a wide range of habitats, including a few places around town where we see them often.
I miss them in the winter and feel happy when I see they've returned in the Spring. The calls overhead from large groups of Canada geese flying in a V-shaped formation signal the transitions into spring and autumn and it always makes me smile when I hear them.
They're monogamous and most pairs mate for life! Their nests are usually in elevated areas near water. Both parents protect the young as you would know if you've ever gotten to close to them.
Note: Below are some photos of a breeding pair in our area. We were out there looking for insects or plants, I can't remember which, and we happened upon this couple. We didn't bother them long but they allowed us a few pictures as long as we gave them their space. We watched as the male foraged and the female sat in the grass nearby.
I debated doing each duck/goose seperately but decided in the end to do them all in the same post. If you want to know more about any of them, let me know and maybe I'd be able to help. There was so much information I couldn't put for each of them! As always, I hope you learned something and enjoyed reading about these beautiful birds!
Yours,
Jade
