DUCK
			Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Chordata Aves Anseriformes Anatidae

Related to the graceful swan, and the animated goose, ducks are water birds. They have short legs, webbed feet, and large flattened beaks with comblike edges. The females generally have a dull plumage, but as with many animal species, the males are often the brighter colored.

Ducks have thick plumage. Next to the skin is a dense layer of downy feathers, which keeps out the cold. Outside this is a layer of oily, waterproof feathers, which prevents the bird from becoming waterlogged. Most ducks live on fresh water, but some, such as eiders and scoters, are true sea birds. Ducks use their webbed feet as paddles, folding them onto the forward stroke. They nest on the ground or in burrows, and the young can run and swim soon after hatching.

There are two main types of duck. Divers, of which there are many, including the pochards, eiders and scooters. The deepest diver is the long-tailed duck which dives to about 180 feet (55 m) to find mollusks on the seabed. The second type are the surface-feeders, which eat small animals and weeds. They include the mandarin, (one of the wood ducks), the pintail, and the northern green-winged teal. Some ducks feed on land. For example, the wigeon crops grass leaves. Generally, surface feeders can get into the air quickly, but divers have to taxi along the water in order to get airborne.

Ducks are found in all the northern regions of the world and a few are found south of the equator. The most northerly ducks are the eiders of the Arctic. Species common to Europe and North America include teal merganser, scoter, pintail, mallard, (from which most domestic ducks are descended), gadwall, and shoveler. A few species are exclusively European and Asian, such as shelducks and some are exclusively North American, such as the surf scoter and the ruddy duck. Many northern ducks migrate southward in winter.

South American ducks include the torrent duck, the steamer ducks, and the muscovy duck. The comb duck is found in South America and in Africa, where the southern pochard is also found.