A baby duck is called a duckling, and an adult male is a drake. An adult female duck is called a hen or a duck, and a group of ducks can be called a raft, team or paddling.
Anatidae is a classification of birds where the ducks belong.
All types of ducks are part of the bird family, Anatidae and there are species of ducks found worldwide on every continent except Antarctica.
A duck's feathers are so waterproof that even when the duck dives underwater, its downy under layer of feathers will stay completely dry.
All ducks have highly waterproof feathers as a result of an intricate feather structure and a waxy coating that is spread on each feather while preening.
Ducks are precocial, which means that ducklings are covered with down and able to walk and leave the nest just a few hours after hatching. Have you ever seen a mother duck as the ducklings follow behind her all walking in a row?
A hen will lead her ducklings up to a half mile or more over land after hatching in order to find a suitable water source for swimming and feeding.
Male ducks have an eclipse plumage similar to females that they wear after the breeding season for about a month as their new feathers grow. During the month of breeding, as they loose and grow their feathers back, they are completely flightless and more vulnerable to predators.
Most duck species are monogamous (meaning that they stay with their one and only partner) for a breeding season but they do not mate for life.
A mother duck will usually find a spot hidden from view like under a bush, or hidden near shrubs and tall grasses, and in constructing her nest, a hen will line it with soft down feathers she plucks from her own breast. This gives the eggs the best possible cushioning and insulation.
Ducks are omnivorous, meaning that they will eat grass, aquatic plants, insects, seeds, fruit, fish, crustaceans and other types of food. This helps them to survive because they can live on all kinds of different food.
A duck's bill is specially designed to help it forage in mud and to strain food from the water. A hard nail at the tip of the bill helps with foraging, and a comb-like structure on the sides of the bill helps to strain small insects and crustaceans from water.
Female ducks make a noisy "QUACK" and many male ducks are silent and very few ducks actually "quack." Instead, their calls may include squeaks, grunts, groans, chirps, whistles, brays and growls.
REFERENCE:
http://birding.about.com/od/bird profiles/a/15-Fun-Facts-About-Ducks.htm
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