Puddle Ducks vs. Diving Ducks
Puddle Duck vs. Diver Ducks
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Characteristics:
Large wing/body size
Legs central
Colorful speculum
Take off straight up
Sit high on the water
Walk on land easily
Toe not lobed
Body more horizontal
Small foot/body size
Can feed on land
Dabble or surface feed for food
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Characteristics:
Smaller wing/body size
Legs further back
Speculum: white, black, gray, no
color
Running take off
Sit lower in the water
Harder to walk on land
Toe lobed
Body more vertical
Large foot/body size
Quick wing beats
Dive for food
Wings vary in many ways and affect the behavior of the birds. These include:
Color, size in relation to body size, shape and wing beat.
Canvasback (diver)
Pintail (puddle duck)
Coverts
Primary
feathers
Tertials
Secondary feathers
Colored area is called the
Speculum
Diving Ducks have speculum/coverts that are white,
gray or black.
Canvasback
Scaup
Bufflehead
Common merganser Common goldeneye
Ringneck
Puddle Ducks have speculum/coverts that have color: Green, blue, purple,
metallic, some white, purple, tan and brown.
Blue-wing teal
Mallard
Green-wing teal
Gadwal
Shoveler
Wigeon
Wood duck
Cinnamon Teal
Leg placement can affect how the waterfowl feed. All waterfowl can dive but
only the divers do it consistently to get food.
The bufflehead picture is of two birds.
See the swirl? One just dove under.
The Shovelers are dabbling.
The geese, swans and mallards are
feeding on land.
Leg Placement affects how the duck can walk on land and swim.
Divers: Legs are
further back making
it harder to walk on
land but better for
swimming.
Loon
Puddle ducks:
Legs are central,
can walk on land
easily.
Penguin (not a
waterfowl)
Diving ducks sit lower in the water than the Puddle duck.
Puddle
Diver
Loon, Grebe
Divers run on the water to take off where as puddle ducks can take off straight up.
This is because of their wing/body size. So divers are found in more open water and
puddle ducks can be found in weedy marshes and on land.
Foot comparisons of the Waterfowl and the Waterfowl-like
Bill comparisons between different and what the adaption is for.