HERE, DUCKY, DUCKY
There are two main categories of ducks too: puddlers and divers. The legs of the puddle ducks are near the centre of their bodies so they can walk and run on land. They feed by tipping their bottoms up and dunking their heads in the water, so you tend to find them in shallow water. When they take off from the water, they fly straight up into the air. Divers, on the other hand, don't walk very well on land because their legs are near the back of their bodies. But when they take off from the water, they tend to run along the water before lifting off. When they're hungry, they dive completely underwater to find something to eat so you'll find them in deeper water than puddlers.
Now it's time to test your duck knowledge by trying to identify the different species of ducks below.
 These
small puddle ducks arrive late in the spring and they're one
of the first ducks to fly to warmer climates in the fall.
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Known
as the "sprig," this is a large, elegant, long-necked
puddle duck that feeds on grain fields most of the time during
the fall migration.
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The
largest of the diving ducks, they are often thought of as
the "King of Ducks." The bulls (males) have beautiful
brick-red plumage on their heads and a silver body.
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They're
known as "whistlers" because of the whistling sound
that their wings make when they fly. They are large diving
ducks and they look like they're wearing a tuxedo. They have
dark heads, white cheek patches and broad, white wing patches
They lay their eggs in natural tree cavities or artificial
nest boxes.
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This
diving duck is also called a "bluebill."
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The
smallest of the diving ducks, they are also known as "butterballs."
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In
North America, this duck (a.k.a. "greenhead"), has
a spring-breeding population of about eight million birds.
These puddle ducks like to eat field crops during their annual
fall migration.
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Copyright: 2000, Queens Printer Ontario
Text by Ken Bailey