The Actor's Toolbox

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Ducks are members of the Anatidae, which also includes geese and swans.
Most ducks are omnivorous, but some are primarily herbivores and others are mostly carnivorous.
Plants eaten include seeds, aquatic grasses, and submerged pond weeds.
Animals eaten include invertebrates, fish eggs, and fish.
Ducks switch their diet to mostly invertebrates prior to breeding and when the are young. This gives them more energy for growth and breeding.
Males are brightly colored, while the females generally sport drab brown or gray feathers. The bright colors of the male are one way the gain a mate. The colors actually connote the genetic quality and health.
The Mallard is the most well know example of a difference in coloration, but the wood duck is the most colorful in North America.
Ducks are sort of faithful to their partners. They find a new one each year. The male leave after the beginning stages of incubation.
They nest in a depression scraped in ground lined with vegetation and down from female's breast
Most widespread and abundant duck in North America, and the most heavily hunted. Populations closely tracked by wildlife agencies.
Dabbles, filter-feeds at surface of water, tips-up in shallow water, and makes occasional dives in deeper water.
Insects and larvae, aquatic invertebrates, seeds, acorns, aquatic vegetation, grain.