Observation Of A Waterfowl

Swans, geese, and ducks, collectively known as waterfowl, require substantial habitat that provides adequate amounts of resources necessary to fuel the biological processes that allow them to survive and reproduce (Bellrose 1976). North America is home to 43 waterfowl species. Several of these species share common habitat preferences while others differ drastically in their habitat selection. Examples of two species that differ in habitat preferences are the canvasback (Aythya valisineria) and the mallard (Anas platyrhyncos). The canvasback is classified in the tribe Aythyini, or pochards (Bellrose 1976). These ducks prefer habitats that range from shallow to deep water. They are differentiated from dabbling ducks in feet placement near …show more content…
These species frequent shallow marshes, flooded agricultural fields, or flooded bottomland hardwood where they feed on the seeds of moist soil plants, waste grain, and acorn mast, as well as invertebrates and rarely, depending on species and primary food availability, aquatic vertebrates (fish). Anatomical features such as feet near the middle of their body necessitate these ducks frequent shallower habitats so that they are able to forage for submerged food. The wood duck (Aix sponsa), a member of the tribe Cairinini, or perching ducks, has similar habitat preferences to those of dabbling ducks. The primary difference between the wood duck and dabbling ducks are anatomical adaptations that allow the wood duck to take advantage of its preferred habitat, bottomland hardwood forests. Wood ducks will be considered with dabbling ducks for the remainder of this paper, but it is important to recognize the different …show more content…
The hooded merganser is the only species of these 5 birds that frequents bottomland hardwood forests. It requires similar habitats as the wood duck but its food preferences are vastly different, preferring primarily fish species and its anatomical features and feeding behaviors are more similar to those of the pochards (Bellrose 1976). The other species are all diving ducks as well, save for the black-bellied whistling duck, and do not frequent bottomland hardwood at any stage of its life cycle. The only reason they are mentioned here is to indicate that they nest in tree cavities on their respective breeding grounds and that conservation of the forests they reproduce in is just as important as the conservation of the bottomland hardwood