Did you ever swim wearing flippers? If so, you know that they help you swim faster. Flippers are like the webbed feet of ducks, geese, and swans. Webbed feet are like paddles. They push lots of water, so the bird can move faster.
Ducks, geese, and swans are all waterfowl. They spend most of their time in lakes, ponds, rivers, or the sea.
Different kinds of waterfowl have different ways of getting their food. Some kinds of ducks, such as mallards, wigeons, and teals, are known as dabbling ducks. To get food – water insects, snails, and water plants – a dabbling duck puts its head underwater. Its feet and tail stick straight up in the air. Swans feed this way too, but they eat mostly plants.
Ducks such as pochards, canvasbacks, and grebes are known as diving ducks. They dive underwater and eat mostly water plants.
Geese usually feed on land. They like grass, seeds, and plants. Their bills can clip off the tops of plants as neatly as a pair of scissors.
Colourful mandarin ducks often perch in trees when they aren’t swimming.
Picture Credit : Google