![]() If you have a pond or a garden, ducks are well-known for contentedly eating nuisance slugs, tomato worms, Japanese beetles (an invasive species, anyway!) while finding garden fruits and vegetables to be largely unpalatable compared to insects. The Best Ways to Attract Wild Ducks To Ponds (Useful Tips & Tricks) It’s incredibly easy to use, and can be quite helpful. If you want something a bit more convenient, you can download the free Merlin Bird ID App to your phone or other device that will allow you to identify any bird species that you see anywhere in the world, listen to their calls, see photos, and look up information such as habitat requirements for virtually all bird species. If you’re looking to attract certain species (or figure out which ones are native to your area), your best bet is to check out a comprehensive, detail-packed website such as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology or Audubon to figure out their specific range and habitat requirements. They nest by simply scraping a small depression into the ground, usually near water in an area surrounded by vegetation to shelter them from predators and the elements. Northern shovelers like shallow wetlands and freshwater ponds, and spend their summers in Canada and the northern portions of the U.S., migrating through much of the rest of the U.S. In winter, they stay in the western and southern U.S. as well as portions of California, and they prefer to nest in trees with hollows or specially built nest boxes several meters above the ground to keep their young out of easy reach of predators. For example, wood ducks prefer wooded marshes, their year-round range includes the eastern and midwestern U.S. Public domain.Īt which time ducks will arrive during the year, if they will show up at your water body at all, and how and where they nest depends entirely on the species. When Will Ducks Arrive? How Do You Identify Them? Different species of duck will prefer different environments, such as the wood duck (pictured), which likes wooded marshes. Their feet are larger and located farther back on their body than that of dabbling ducks, making it much easier for divers to swim and navigate underwater. Diving ducks are fairly self-explanatory, and have evolved to be able to dive into water to feed upon the bottom of the water body or chase moving fare under the water’s surface. They have small feet that are placed more closely together to enable greater ease of movement on land and in shallow water. Ducks are separated even further into two main groups: dabbling ducks and diving ducks.ĭabbling ducks have adapted to feed in shallow water, where they “dabble” in the water and mud with their bills for insects, macro-invertebrates, and vegetation. Some of the most familiar species within this family that are native to the United States are the wood duck, mallard, America widgeon, northern pintail, scaups (both lesser and greater), blue-winged teal, and many others. Within the Anatidae family is the genus Anatinae, containing only ducks. ![]() ![]() This family includes all the most common duck species, including the iconic mallard, the extravagant mandarin, and the mysterious wood duck.ĭifferent Types of Wild Ducks (Dabblers & Divers) Ducks come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, but are often split into two categories: divers and dabblers. ![]() Anseranatidae is comprised of only a single species – the magpie goose, found only in Australia and portions of New Guinea.įor almost all pond owners, the only family of waterfowl you’ll be able (or want) to attract will be within the largest anatide family. Within the family of Anhimidae includes only three species, known as screamers, which are a type of large South American bird that are most well-known for the loud, strident screams that they emit when they feel threatened. The most commonly known family is Anatidae, which includes approximately 147 different species of ducks, swans, and geese that can be found worldwide. Waterfowl compose an important part of many aquatic ecosystems around the world, and includes three different families: Anhimidae, Anseranatidae, and Anatidae. 1.4 Should You Attract Ducks To Fish Ponds? (Ducky Downsides) Waterfowl include a large number of bird species, including the widespread mallard ducks. ![]()
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