For duck as a food, see Duck (food); for other meanings, see Duck (disambiguation). Duck refers to the meat of several species of bird in the Anatidae family found in both fresh and salt water.

Ducks
A duck (female) and drake (male) Mallard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae
Subfamilies
Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Aythyinae Merginae

Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. The Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos) probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks is a Dabbling duck which breeds throughout the Temperate Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living Species of Birds in three extant families the Anhimidae (the screamers Anseranatidae Dendrocygninae is a Subfamily of the Duck, Goose and Swan family of Birds Anatidae. Oxyurinae is a Subfamily of the Duck, Goose and Swan family of Birds Anatidae. The Anatinae is a Subfamily of the family Anatidae ( Swans geese and Ducks. The 15 or so living species of diving duck, commonly called pochards or scaups, are part of the diverse and very large Duck, Goose Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The ducks are divided between several subfamilies listed in full in the Anatidae article. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than their relatives the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water. Swans are Birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and Ducks Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in Goose (plural geese) is the English name for a considerable number of Birds belonging to the family Anatidae. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3

Ducks are sometimes confused with several types of unrelated water birds with similar forms, such as loons or divers, grebes, gallinules, and coots. The loons (eg North America or divers (eg UK/Ireland are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia Grebes are members of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds some of which visit the sea when migrating The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized Birds The family exhibits considerable diversity Coots, are medium-sized water birds which are members of the rail family Rallidae.

Terminology

The word duck (from Anglo-Saxon dūce), meaning the bird, came from the verb "to duck" (from Anglo-Saxon supposed *dūcan) meaning "to bend down low as if to get under something" or "to dive", because of the way many species in the dabbling duck group feed by upending (compare Dutch duiken, German tauchen = "to dive"). The Anatinae is a Subfamily of the family Anatidae ( Swans geese and Ducks. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages.

This happened because the older Anglo-Saxon words ened (= "duck") and ende (= "end") came to be pronounced the same: other Germanic languages still have similar words for "duck" and "end": for example, Dutch eend = "duck", eind = "end", German ente = "duck", ende = "end"; this similarity goes back to Indo-European: compare Latin anas (stem anat-) = "duck", Lithuanian antis = "duck", Ancient Greek νησσα, νηττα (nēssa, nētta) = "duck"; Sanskrit anta = "end". Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In Linguistics, a stem (sometimes also theme) is the part of a word that is common to all its inflected variants Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical

Some people use "duck" specifically for adult females and "drake" for adult males, for the species described here; others use "hen" and "drake", respectively.

A duckling is a young duck in downy plumage^[1] or baby duck. ^[2]; but in the food trade young adult ducks ready for roasting are sometimes labelled "duckling".

Ducklings playing.

Anatomy and behavior

Feathers and flight

Many species of duck are temporarily flightless while moulting; they seek out protected habitat with good food supplies during this period. In Biology, moulting (or molting, also known as shedding or for some species Ecdysis) signifies the manner in which an animal routinely This moult typically precedes migration. Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of Birds Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability

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. Plumage refers both to the layer of Feathers that cover a Bird and the pattern colour and arrangement of those feathers In Biology, moulting (or molting, also known as shedding or for some species Ecdysis) signifies the manner in which an animal routinely Southern resident species typically show less sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different Sex in the same Species.

Feeding

Most ducks have a wide flat beak adapted for dredging. Anatomy Stegosaurus --> Beaks can vary significantly in size and shape from species to species Dredging is an Excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater in shallow seas or Fresh water areas with the purpose of

Ducks exploit a variety of food sources such as grasses, aquatic plants, fish, insects, small amphibians^[3], worms, and small molluscs. Poaceae or Gramineae is a family in the Class Liliopsida of the flowering plants. Aquatic plants &mdash also called hydrophytic plants or hydrophytes &mdash are plants that have adapted to living in or on aquatic environments Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and A worm is a common name given to a diverse group of invertebrate animals that have a long soft body and no legs Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000

Diving ducks and sea ducks forage deep underwater. The 15 or so living species of diving duck, commonly called pochards or scaups, are part of the diverse and very large Duck, Goose To be able to submerge more easily, the diving ducks are heavier than dabbling ducks, and therefore have more difficulty taking off to fly.

Dabbling ducks feed on the surface of water or on land, or as deep as they can reach by up-ending without completely submerging. The Anatinae is a Subfamily of the family Anatidae ( Swans geese and Ducks. ^[4] Along the inside of the beak they have tiny rows of plates called lamellae like a whale's baleen. A lamella is a thin plate-like structure often one amongst many lamellae very close to one another with open space between Baleen or whalebone is the means by which Baleen whales feed These whales do not have Teeth, but instead have rows of baleen plates in These let them filter water out of the side of their beaks and keep food inside.

A few specialized species such as the smew, goosander, and the mergansers are adapted to catch and swallow large fish. The Smew ( Mergellus albellus) is a small Duck which is somewhat intermediate between the typical mergansers ( Mergus) and the The Common Merganser, ( Goosander in Europe) Mergus merganser, is a large sized Duck, which is distributed over Europe, North Mergus is the Genus of the typical mergansers, fish-eating Ducks in the Seaduck subfamily (Merginae

Communication

Despite widespread misconceptions, most ducks other than female Mallards and domestic ducks do not "quack"; for example, the scaup makes a noise like "scaup", which its name came from. The Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos) probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks is a Dabbling duck which breeds throughout the Temperate Domesticated ducks are Ducks that are raised for Meat, eggs and down. The Greater Scaup ( Aythya marila) just Scaup in Europe, or colloquially known as "Bluebill" is a small Diving duck.

A common urban legend claims that duck quacks do not echo; however, this has been shown to be false. An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them 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. The University of Salford is a Plate glass university based in Salford Greater Manchester, England, with approximately 20000 registered students ^[5] It was also debunked in one of the earlier episodes of the popular Discovery Channel television show MythBusters. The cast of the television series MythBusters performs experiments to verify or debunk Urban legends Old wives' tales and the like MythBusters is a Popular science Television program produced by Australian firm Beyond Television Productions originally for the

Ecology

Distribution and habitat

Some duck species, mainly those breeding in the temperate and Arctic Northern Hemisphere, are migratory; those in the tropics, however, are generally not. Northern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is North of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' Some ducks, particularly in Australia where rainfall is patchy and erratic, are nomadic, seeking out the temporary lakes and pools that form after localised heavy rain. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.

Ducks have become an accepted presence in populated areas. Migration patterns have changed such that many species remain in an area during the winter months. In spring and early summer ducks sometimes influence human activity through their nesting; sometimes a duck pair nests well away from water, needing a long trek to water for the hatchlings: this sometimes causes an urgent wildlife rescue operation (e. Wildlife rehabilitation is the process of removing from the wild and caring for injured orphaned or sick wild animals g. by the RSPCA) if the duck nested somewhere unsuitable like in a small enclosed courtyard. This article is about the original RSPCA in England and Wales For alternative meanings of the word "court" see Court (disambiguation.

Predators

A worldwide group like the ducks has many predators. Ducklings are particularly vulnerable, since their inability to fly makes them easy prey not only for avian hunters but also large fish like pike, crocodilians, and other aquatic hunters, including fish-eating birds such as herons. Crocodilia is an order of large Reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period ( Campanian stage The herons are wading Birds in the Ardeidae family Some are called Egrets or Bitterns instead of herons Ducks' nests may be raided by land-based predators, and brooding females may sometimes be caught unaware on the nest by mammals (e. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands g. foxes) and large birds, including hawks and eagles. A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small The term hawk can be used in several ways In strict usage in Europe and Asia, to mean any of the Species in the Subfamily Eagles are large birds of prey which are members of the Bird order Falconiformes and family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera

Adult ducks are fast fliers, but may be caught on the water by large aquatic predators. This can occasionally include fish such as the muskie in North America or the pike in Europe. The muskellunge, Esox masquinongy, is also known as the muskie, musky or maskinonge. 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. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus The Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregrinus) also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America is a

Relationship with humans

Culinary

Main article: Duck (food)

As food, "duck" refers to the meat of several species of bird in the Anatidae family, found in both fresh and salt water. Duck refers to the meat of several species of bird in the Anatidae family found in both fresh and salt water. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3 Duck is eaten in many cuisines around the world. Cuisine (from French cuisine, "cooking culinary art kitchen" ultimately from Latin coquere, "to cook" is a specific set

Domestication

Duck headcount in 2004

Ducks have many economic uses, being farmed for their meat, eggs, feathers, (particularly their down). A farm is an area of land including various structures devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food ( Produce, Grains, or Livestock Duck refers to the meat of several species of bird in the Anatidae family found in both fresh and salt water. An egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of many animals consisting of an Ovum surrounded by layers of Membranes and an outer casing which acts to nourish Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures For the record label see Duck Down Records The down of Birds is a layer of fine Feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers They are also kept and bred by aviculturists and often displayed in zoos. All domestic ducks are descended from the wild Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, except the Muscovy Duck ^[6]. Domesticated ducks are Ducks that are raised for Meat, eggs and down. The Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos) probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks is a Dabbling duck which breeds throughout the Temperate The Muscovy Duck, Cairina moschata, is a large Duck which is native to Mexico, Central and South America. Many domestic breeds have become much larger than their wild ancestor, with a "hull length" (from base of neck to base of tail) of 30 cm (12 inches) or more and routinely able to swallow an adult British Common Frog Rana temporaria whole. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Common Frog, Rana temporaria also known as the European Common Frog or European Common Brown Frog is found throughout much of Europe

FAO reports that China is the top duck market in 2004 followed by Vietnam and other South East Asian countries. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially

Hunting

In many areas, wild ducks of various species (including ducks farmed and released into the wild) are hunted for food or sport, by shooting, or formerly by decoys. Shooting is the act or process of firing Rifles Shotguns or other projectile Weapons such as bows or Crossbows Even the firing of A decoy is usually a person device or event meant as a distraction to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for From this came the expression "a sitting duck", which means "an easy target".

Cultural references

In 2002, psychologist Richard Wiseman and colleagues at the University of Hertfordshire (UK) finished a year-long LaughLab experiment, concluding that, of the animals in the world, the duck is the type that attracts most humor and silliness; he said "If you're going to tell a joke involving an animal, make it a duck. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Mental health professional A psychologist is a practitioner of Psychology, the systematic investigation of the mind including Behavior, Cognition, Richard Wiseman (born 1966 is Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues Definition of collegiality Colleagues are those explicitly united in a common Purpose and respecting The University of Hertfordshire is a modern university based largely in Hatfield, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, from which the university The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The world's funniest joke is a term used by Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire in 2002 to summarize one of the results of his Research In scientific inquiry an experiment ( Latin: Ex- periri, "to try out" is a method of investigating particular types of research questions or Humour or humor (see spelling differences) is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke Laughter and provide Amusement See also Mathematics of humor A joke is a short story or ironic depiction of a situation communicated with the intent of being humorous. " The word "duck" may have become an inherently funny word in many languages because ducks are seen as a silly animal, and their odd appearance compared to other birds. The belief that certain words are inherently funny, for reasons ranging from Onomatopoeia to Phonosemantics to Sexual innuendo, is widespread A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Of the many ducks in fiction, many are silly cartoon characters like Daffy Duck (see the New Scientist article [1] mentioning humor in the word "duck"). Disney cartoon ducks Disney animators have created an entire universe of ducks most are modeled after the Pekin duck. The word cartoon has various meanings based on several very different forms of Visual art and Illustration. Daffy Duck is an Animated cartoon character in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of New Scientist is a weekly International science magazine and website covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English -speaking

A duck test is a form of inductive reasoning, which can be phrased as follows: "If a bird looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The duck test is a humorous term for a form of Inductive reasoning. Induction or inductive reasoning, sometimes called inductive logic, is the process of Reasoning in which the premises of an argument are believed " The test implies that a person can figure out the true nature of an unknown subject by observing this subject's readily identifiable traits. It is sometimes used to counter abstruse arguments that something is not what it appears to be.

Gallery

African Comb Duck	Mallard drake	Male Wood Duck in eclipse plumage	Male Muscovy Duck
Male Mandarin Duck	Ringed Teal	Red-crested Pochard	A male Mallard flying. The Comb Duck ( Sarkidiornis melanotos) formerly known as the Knob-billed Duck, is an unusual pan-tropical Duck, found in tropical wetlands The Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos) probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks is a Dabbling duck which breeds throughout the Temperate See also Australian Wood Duck. The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck ( Aix sponsa) is a medium-sized Perching duck. The Muscovy Duck, Cairina moschata, is a large Duck which is native to Mexico, Central and South America. The Mandarin Duck ( Aix galericulata) or just Mandarin, is a medium-sized Perching duck, closely related to the North American Wood Duck The Ringed Teal ( Callonetta leucophrys) is a small Duck of South American forests The Red-crested Pochard ( Netta rufina) is a large Diving duck.

See also

• Duck hunting
• Domesticated duck — ducks kept as pets or show animals and for meat and eggs and down
• List of fictional ducks

References

External links

• "The quack doesn't echo" urban legend (from Snopes.com)
• Guide to keeping ducks
• Duck videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• list of books (useful looking abstracts)
• Ducks at a Distance, by Rob Hines, available at Project Gutenberg. Snopes (ˈsnoʊps also known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages, is a Web site that is the most widely-known resource for validating or debunking Urban legends Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works - A modern illustrated guide to identification of US waterfowl.
• Duck necrophilia Necrophilia among ducks ruffles research feathers