Waterfowl

Falcated Duck at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre, Gloucestershire, England

Ducks at Narrabeen Lake, Sydney, Australia

Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans. Some definitions of the term 'waterfowl' include the saltwater shorebirds or waders, gulls, pelicans, and herons, as well as seabirds such as the albatross, but 'fowl' especially refers to birds used by humans for game. They have historically been an important food source, and continue to be hunted as game, or raised as poultry for meat and eggs and are sometimes kept as pets.

Description

They are strong swimmers with medium to large bodies with webbed feet and a broad, flat, and somewhat rounded-tip bill. Some species dive deep for fishes or mollusks, others feed near the surface or filter through shallow bottom sediments. Some even graze on land. Most species of waterfowl are migratory. The fossil of the bird Presbyornis shows a long-legged shorebird-like form with a duck-like bill. This fossil, which is some 50 million years old, may suggest an evolutionary relationship between Anseriformes and shorebirds.^[1]

See also

• Waterbird
• List of Anseriformes by population

References

• Madge and Burn, Wildfowl ISBN 0-7470-2201-1
• Taylor and van Perlo, Rails ISBN 90-74345-20-4

External links

• Flyways.us - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Flyway Councils, waterfowl hunting management in North America