Puddle Ducks vs. Diving Ducks

Puddle Duck vs. Diver Ducks• Characteristics:• Large wing/body size• Legs central• Colorful speculum• Take off straight up• Sit high on the water• Walk on land easily• Toe not lobed• Body more horizontal• Small foot/body size• Can feed on land• Dabble or surface feed for food

• Characteristics:• Smaller wing/body size• Legs further back• Speculum: white, black, gray, no

color• Running take off• Sit lower in the water• Harder to walk on land• Toe lobed• Body more vertical• Large foot/body size• Quick wing beats• Dive for food

Wings vary in many ways and affect the behavior of the birds. These include: Color, size in relation to body size, shape and wing beat.

Canvasback (diver) Pintail (puddle duck)

Primary feathers

Secondary feathersColored area is called the Speculum

Coverts

Tertials

Diving Ducks have speculum/coverts that are white, gray or black.

Canvasback Scaup Common merganser Common goldeneye

Bufflehead Ringneck

Puddle Ducks have speculum/coverts that have color: Green, blue, purple, metallic, some white, purple, tan and brown.

Blue-wing teal Green-wing teal Shoveler Wood duck

Mallard Gadwal Wigeon Cinnamon Teal

Leg placement can affect how the waterfowl feed. All waterfowl can dive but only the divers do it consistently to get food.

The bufflehead picture is of two birds. See the swirl? One just dove under.

The Shovelers are dabbling.

The geese, swans and mallards are feeding on land.

Leg Placement affects how the duck can walk on land and swim.

Puddle ducks: Legs are central, can walk on land easily.

Divers: Legs are further back making it harder to walk on land but better for swimming.

Penguin (not a waterfowl)

Loon

Diving ducks sit lower in the water than the Puddle duck.

Puddle Diver Loon, Grebe

Divers run on the water to take off where as puddle ducks can take off straight up. This is because of their wing/body size. So divers are found in more open water and

puddle ducks can be found in weedy marshes and on land.

Foot comparisons of the Waterfowl and the Waterfowl-like

Bill comparisons between different and what the adaption is for.