Have you ever noticed that some ducks get up from the water quickly and easily while other have to paddle away for a considerable distance before getting airborne? Ducks can be categorized in two groups, puddle ducks (aka dabbling ducks) and diving ducks. The differences between these two groups relate to how they look, fly, and eat.
Puddle Ducks
Puddle ducks are ducks of the shallow marshes and the like. Think mallards, pintails, shovelers, teal, gadwall, wigeon, and wood ducks. Their bodies seem to ride high in the water. They feed largely on aquatic vegetation, insects and such, close to the water surface. No doubt you have seen them feeding, heads down in the water and butts sticking straight up out of the water.
Puddle ducks also have the ability to get right up from the water due to their comparatively large wings. And they seem to land on the water rather easily. In flight, their wing beats have been described as slower and more effortless than diving ducks.
The feet of puddle ducks are positioned so they can easily walk on land. As such they are commonly observed feeding on grain fields and similar habitats.
Diving Ducks
Well-known diving ducks include canvasback, redheads, scaup, ringneck, goldeneye, and bufflehead. These ducks prefer more open and deep water such as large lakes and rivers. They tend to ride lower in the water compared to dabbling ducks.
Diving ducks need to dive down in the water to get their food which consists of fish, snails, and invertebrates. Compared to puddle ducks they have smaller wings and a more compact body. Plus, their legs are set back further on their bodies which is an advantage for swimming but makes it much more difficult to walk on land.
If you see a duck on takeoff that is paddling frantically across the water before becoming airborne, it is a diving duck. They need a long runway. Upon return they drop down and skid across the water feet first before settling down.
So take a closer look at the ducks this fall. You will definitely notice some of these differences.
