Anatidae – Ducks & geese
This family contains many waterbirds that you can spot
Ducks, geese, and swans are members of this elegant family, which has a wide, stocky body, short legs with partly webbed feet, a long neck, and a slightly flattened beak with horny lamellae and a hard “nail” at the tip. The family has a global distribution, with members on all continents except Antarctica and most of the world’s islands and island groups.
Members of the Anatidae family have evolved to swim, float on the water’s surface, and, in some instances, dive in shallow water. They are herbivorous and monogamous breeders in general. Almost half of the species migrate once a year.
Members of the Anatidae family have a vital ecological function as food for predators, including hawks, eagles, and falcons, as well as mammals, reptiles, and even bigger fish.
Genera in this family
The ancestors of almost all the modern domestic geese
This symbol of love have a higher divorce rate than most birds
The smallest of all wildfowl
Models for study sexual dimorphism (difference between sexes)!
These ducks practice one of the most unusual ways of eating their food
