# waterfowl Waterfowl are birds that live near water, like lakes and rivers. They have webbed feet that help them swim and are often seen floating or diving for food. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Ducks, Geese, Swans ![waterfowl](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cygnus_olor_2_%28Marek_Szczepanek%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Marek Szczepanek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cygnus_olor_2_%28Marek_Szczepanek%29.jpg) ## Appearance The waterfowl is a diverse group of birds with sleek, often plump bodies adapted for life on water. They typically have webbed feet for swimming, a broad or pointed bill, and dense, waterproof plumage. Their neck length varies greatly, from short and stout to elegantly long. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Anatinae ## Interesting facts - A group of geese in flight is called a 'skein,' but on water, they're a 'raft'! - Many waterfowl can sleep with one eye open and half their brain awake to watch for danger! - Some tiny ducklings imprint on the first moving thing they see, thinking it's their mother! - The calls of certain ducks change depending on if they are flying, swimming, or calling for mates. ## Special abilities - **Waterproof Wonder:** Waterfowl has special preen oil that coats their feathers, helping them shed water and stay dry while swimming and diving. - **Underwater Acrobat:** Waterfowl can dive deep underwater to find food, using strong webbed feet to propel themselves with surprising speed. - **Feathered Filter:** Waterfowl like ducks have unique bills with lamellae that help them filter tiny food particles from the water. - **Airborne Endurance:** Waterfowl can fly long distances during migration, often forming V-shaped patterns to save energy. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30-150 cm - **Wingspan:** 50-240 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-15 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-30 years - **Speed:** 100 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-15 - **Incubation:** 20-40 days - **Migration Distance:** 5000 km ## Diet & Feeding Waterfowl eat a mix of plants and small creatures they find in water or on land. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic plants, seeds, insects, small fish, crustaceans - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Red Foxes often hunt waterfowl, especially nests and young. - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Bald Eagles are powerful predators that hunt adult waterfowl. - **Shelter:** Broadleaf Cattail (*Typha latifolia*) — Cattail marshes provide safe nesting and hiding spots for waterfowl. - **Eats:** [Common Duckweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-duckweed) (*Lemna minor*) — Duckweed is a tiny floating plant that many waterfowl consume. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always stay a safe distance from water and never go in alone. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify waterfowl? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is waterfowl? 30-150 cm ### What is waterfowl's wingspan? 50-240 cm ### How much does waterfowl weigh? 0.5-15 kg ### How long does waterfowl live? 5-30 years ### How fast can waterfowl move? 100 km/h ### What does waterfowl eat? Waterfowl eat a mix of plants and small creatures they find in water or on land. ### Where is waterfowl usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Edenton National Fish Hatchery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/edenton-national-fish-hatchery) — North Carolina, US · Zoo - [Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/natchitoches-national-fish-hatchery) — Louisiana, US · Aquarium - [Edenton National Fish Hatchery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/edenton-national-fish-hatchery-north-carolina) — North Carolina, US · Aquarium [View all places to see waterfowl](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/waterfowl) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Waterfowl: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/waterfowl)