Duck
Duck | |
---|---|
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Anseriformes |
Superfamily: | Anatoidea
|
Family: | Anatidae |
Subfamilies | |
See text |
Duck is the common name for numerous species of
Ducks are sometimes confused with several types of unrelated water birds with similar forms, such as
Etymology
The word duck comes from
tauchen 'to dive'.This word replaced Old English ened /ænid 'duck', possibly to avoid confusion with other words, such as ende 'end' with similar forms. Other Germanic languages still have similar words for duck, for example, Dutch eend, German Ente and
ātí 'water bird', among others.A duckling is a young duck in downy plumage[1] or baby duck,[2] but in the food trade a young domestic duck which has just reached adult size and bulk and its meat is still fully tender, is sometimes labelled as a duckling.
A male is called a drake and the female is called a duck, or in ornithology a hen.[3][4]
Taxonomy
All ducks belong to the biological order Anseriformes, a group that contains the ducks, geese and swans, as well as the screamers, and the magpie goose.[5] All except the screamers belong to the biological family Anatidae.[5] Within the family, ducks are split into a variety of subfamilies and 'tribes'. The number and composition of these subfamilies and tribes is the cause of considerable disagreement among taxonomists.[5] Some base their decisions on morphological characteristics, others on shared behaviours or genetic studies.[6][7] The number of suggested subfamilies containing ducks ranges from two to five.[8][9] The significant level of hybridisation that occurs among wild ducks complicates efforts to tease apart the relationships between various species.[9]
In most modern classifications, the so-called 'true ducks' belong to the subfamily Anatinae, which is further split into a varying number of tribes.[10] The largest of these, the Anatini, contains the 'dabbling' or 'river' ducks – named for their method of feeding primarily at the surface of fresh water.[11] The 'diving ducks', also named for their primary feeding method, make up the tribe Aythyini.[12] The 'sea ducks' of the tribe Mergini are diving ducks which specialise on fish and shellfish and spend a majority of their lives in saltwater.[13] The tribe Oxyurini contains the 'stifftails', diving ducks notable for their small size and stiff, upright tails.[14]
A number of other species called ducks are not considered to be 'true ducks', and are typically placed in other subfamilies or tribes. The
Morphology
The overall
The drakes of northern species often have extravagant
Distribution and habitat
Ducks have a
Some duck species, mainly those breeding in the temperate and Arctic Northern Hemisphere, are migratory; those in the tropics are generally not. Some ducks, particularly in Australia where rainfall is erratic, are nomadic, seeking out the temporary lakes and pools that form after localised heavy rain.[23]
Behaviour
Feeding
Ducks eat food sources such as
A few specialized species such as the
The others have the characteristic wide flat bill adapted to
The Guardian published an article advising that ducks should not be fed with bread because it damages the health of the ducks and pollutes waterways.[25]
Breeding
Ducks generally only have one partner at a time, although the partnership usually only lasts one year.[26] Larger species and the more sedentary species (like fast-river specialists) tend to have pair-bonds that last numerous years.[27] Most duck species breed once a year, choosing to do so in favourable conditions (spring/summer or wet seasons). Ducks also tend to make a nest before breeding, and, after hatching, lead their ducklings to water. Mother ducks are very caring and protective of their young, but may abandon some of their ducklings if they are physically stuck in an area they cannot get out of (such as nesting in an enclosed courtyard) or are not prospering due to genetic defects or sickness brought about by hypothermia, starvation, or disease. Ducklings can also be orphaned by inconsistent late hatching where a few eggs hatch after the mother has abandoned the nest and led her ducklings to water.[28]
Communication
Female
A common
Predators
Ducks have many predators. Ducklings are particularly vulnerable, since their inability to fly makes them easy prey not only for predatory birds but also for large fish like
Adult ducks are fast fliers, but may be caught on the water by large aquatic predators including big fish such as the North American muskie and the European pike. In flight, ducks are safe from all but a few predators such as humans and the peregrine falcon, which uses its speed and strength to catch ducks.
Relationship with humans
Hunting
Humans have hunted ducks since prehistoric times. Excavations of
In many areas, wild ducks (including ducks farmed and released into the wild) are hunted for food or sport,
Domestication
Ducks have many economic uses, being farmed for their meat, eggs, and feathers (particularly their down). Approximately 3 billion ducks are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide.[45] They are also kept and bred by aviculturists and often displayed in zoos. Almost all the varieties of domestic ducks are descended from the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), apart from the Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata).[46][47] The Call duck is another example of a domestic duck breed. Its name comes from its original use established by hunters, as a decoy to attract wild mallards from the sky, into traps set for them on the ground. The call duck is the world's smallest domestic duck breed, as it weighs less than 1 kg (2.2 lb).[48]
Heraldry
Ducks appear on several
Cultural references
In 2002, psychologist
The 1992 Disney film The Mighty Ducks, starring Emilio Estevez, chose the duck as the mascot for the fictional youth hockey team who are protagonists of the movie, based on the duck being described as a fierce fighter. This led to the duck becoming the nickname and mascot for the eventual National Hockey League professional team of the Anaheim Ducks, who were founded with the name the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.[citation needed] The duck is also the nickname of the University of Oregon sports teams as well as the Long Island Ducks minor league baseball team.[55]
See also
Notes
Citations
- ^ "Duckling". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. 2006. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ^ "Duckling". Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version). K. Dictionaries Ltd. 2000–2006. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ISBN 978-0300138139.
- ISBN 9780823961566.
- ^ a b c d Carboneras 1992, p. 536.
- ^ Livezey 1986, pp. 737–738.
- ^ Madsen, McHugh & de Kloet 1988, p. 452.
- ^ Donne-Goussé, Laudet & Hänni 2002, pp. 353–354.
- ^ a b c d e f Carboneras 1992, p. 540.
- ^ Elphick, Dunning & Sibley 2001, p. 191.
- ^ Kear 2005, p. 448.
- ^ Kear 2005, p. 622–623.
- ^ Kear 2005, p. 686.
- ^ Elphick, Dunning & Sibley 2001, p. 193.
- ^ a b c d e f g Carboneras 1992, p. 537.
- ^ American Ornithologists' Union 1998, p. xix.
- ^ American Ornithologists' Union 1998.
- ^ Carboneras 1992, p. 538.
- ^ Christidis & Boles 2008, p. 62.
- ^ Shirihai 2008, pp. 239, 245.
- ^ a b Pratt, Bruner & Berrett 1987, pp. 98–107.
- ^ Fitter, Fitter & Hosking 2000, pp. 52–3.
- ^ "Pacific Black Duck". www.wiresnr.org. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
- ^ Ogden, Evans. "Dabbling Ducks". CWE. Retrieved 2006-11-02.
- ^ Karl Mathiesen (16 March 2015). "Don't feed the ducks bread, say conservationists". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-4615-6789-9.
- hdl:10315/13797.
- ^ "If You Find An Orphaned Duckling - Wildlife Rehabber". wildliferehabber.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-23. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
- ]
- ISBN 9780762797707.
- ^ Amos, Jonathan (2003-09-08). "Sound science is quackers". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-11-02.
- ^ "Mythbusters Episode 8". 12 December 2003.
- ^ Erlandson 1994, p. 171.
- ^ Jeffries 2008, pp. 168, 243.
- ^ a b Sued-Badillo 2003, p. 65.
- ^ Thorpe 1996, p. 68.
- ^ Maisels 1999, p. 42.
- ^ Rau 1876, p. 133.
- ^ Higman 2012, p. 23.
- ^ Hume 2012, p. 53.
- ^ Hume 2012, p. 52.
- ^ Fieldhouse 2002, p. 167.
- ISBN 9781853263774.
- ^ "Study plan for waterfowl injury assessment: Determining PCB concentrations in Hudson river resident waterfowl" (PDF). New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. US Department of Commerce. December 2008. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
- ^ "FAOSTAT". www.fao.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Anas platyrhynchos, Domestic Duck; DigiMorph Staff - The University of Texas at Austin". Digimorph.org. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
- ^ Sy Montgomery. "Mallard; Encyclopædia Britannica". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
- ISBN 978-1-908843-15-9.
- ISBN 951-773-085-3.
- ^ "Lubānas simbolika" (in Latvian). Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ "Föglö" (in Swedish). Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ Young, Emma. "World's funniest joke revealed". New Scientist. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ^ "Howard the Duck (character)". Grand Comics Database.
- ISBN 978-0756641238.
December saw the debut of the cigar-smoking Howard the Duck. In this story by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik, various beings from different realities had begun turning up in the Man-Thing's Florida swamp, including this bad-tempered talking duck.
- ^ "The Duck". University of Oregon Athletics. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
Sources
- American Ornithologists' Union (1998). Checklist of North American Birds (PDF). Washington, DC: American Ornithologists' Union. ISBN 978-1-891276-00-2. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
- Carboneras, Carlos (1992). del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-87334-10-8.
- Christidis, Les; Boles, Walter E., eds. (2008). Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Collingwood, VIC: Csiro Publishing. ISBN 978-0-643-06511-6.
- Donne-Goussé, Carole; Laudet, Vincent; Hänni, Catherine (July 2002). "A molecular phylogeny of Anseriformes based on mitochondrial DNA analysis". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 23 (3): 339–356. PMID 12099792.
- Elphick, Chris; Dunning, John B. Jr.; Sibley, David, eds. (2001). The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behaviour. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-0-7136-6250-4.
- Erlandson, Jon M. (1994). Early Hunter-Gatherers of the California Coast. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4419-3231-0.
- Fieldhouse, Paul (2002). Food, Feasts, and Faith: An Encyclopedia of Food Culture in World Religions. Vol. I: A–K. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-61069-412-4.
- Fitter, Julian; Fitter, Daniel; Hosking, David (2000). Wildlife of the Galápagos. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-10295-5.
- Higman, B. W. (2012). How Food Made History. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-4051-8947-7.
- Hume, Julian H. (2012). Extinct Birds. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-1-4729-3744-5.
- Jeffries, Richard (2008). Holocene Hunter-Gatherers of the Lower Ohio River Valley. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 978-0-8173-1658-7.
- Kear, Janet, ed. (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans: Species Accounts (Cairina to Mergus). Bird Families of the World. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-861009-0.
- Livezey, Bradley C. (October 1986). "A phylogenetic analysis of recent Anseriform genera using morphological characters" (PDF). The Auk. 103 (4): 737–754. (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
- Madsen, Cort S.; McHugh, Kevin P.; de Kloet, Siwo R. (July 1988). "A partial classification of waterfowl (Anatidae) based on single-copy DNA" (PDF). The Auk. 105 (3): 452–459. (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
- Maisels, Charles Keith (1999). Early Civilizations of the Old World. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-10975-8.
- Pratt, H. Douglas; Bruner, Phillip L.; Berrett, Delwyn G. (1987). A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-02399-9.
- Rau, Charles (1876). Early Man in Europe. New York: Harper & Brothers. LCCN 05040168.
- Shirihai, Hadoram (2008). A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. Princeton, NJ, US: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-13666-0.
- Sued-Badillo, Jalil (2003). Autochthonous Societies. General History of the Caribbean. Paris: UNESCO. ISBN 978-92-3-103832-7.
- Thorpe, I. J. (1996). The Origins of Agriculture in Europe. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-08009-5.
External links
- list of books (useful looking abstracts)
- Ducks on postage stamps Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine
- Ducks at a Distance, by Rob Hines at Project Gutenberg - A modern illustrated guide to identification of US waterfowl