Dabbling and divning ducks

Size

Wild duck adults weights are species-dependent, and range from under 1 kg to 3 kg.

Ecology

Wild ducks may be loosely grouped into two categories and generally referred to as ‘diving’ and ‘dabbling’ ducks. Diving ducks live on the open waters of large lakes and seacoasts, feed on submerged plants or off the river floor, and have not adapted well to walking on land. They become airborne by running along the water’s surface, and to escape danger, they can travel great distances underwater, emerging only to show their head before submerging again. The goldeneye, tufted duck and pochard belong to this group. Alternatively, dabbling ducks ‘tip-up’ to feed rather than diving into the water, and are able to take-off vertically from either water or land. They prefer to inhabit flooded agricultural lands, forested wetlands, fresh water marshes, and rivers. The mallard, widgeon and shelduck are examples of such dabbling ducks, and almost all ducks of this type exhibit very pronounced colour differences between the sexes.

Food habits

It is essential for wild ducks to inhabit areas that are in close proximity to bodies of water, as their diet consists of water vegetation and aquatic insects. Diving ducks also feed on fish and shellfish. Ducks feeding in croplands are likely to be examples of dabbling ducks, as most ducks of this group are ’sure-footed’ and can walk and run well on land. Longevity Wild ducks live for 15 years.

Reproduction

Most ducks breed close to freshwater lakes, ponds and rivers. They build their nests in the hollows of trees, or within bushes and shrubs, lining them with plant matter and down. Following the breeding season ducks moult, or shed, their feathers. During this time they are unable to fly having lost all quills from their wings simultaneously, and this greatly differs from most other birds, which moult one feather at a time from each wing.

Conservation status

Neither dabbling nor the diving wild ducks at Borås Zoo are threatened.