Waterfowl Glossary

Drake

Routine shedding of old feathers in birds.
Moulting is a comparatively slow process, as a bird never sheds all its feathers at once; it must keep enough of its feathers to regulate its body temperature and repel moisture.
Many species of ducks are temporarily flightless while moulting; they seek out protected habitat with good food supplies during this period.
This moult typically precedes migration.

Members feed mainly on vegetable matter by upending on the water surface, or grazing, and only rarely dive.
Are strong fliers and northern species are highly migratory.
Compared to other types of duck, their legs are placed more towards the centre of their bodies which helps them walk well on land.
Feed on the surface of water or on land.
Have special plates in their beaks called lamellae similar to a whale's baleen. These tiny rows of plates along the inside of the beak let them filter water out of the side of their beaks and keep food inside.

Members feed mainly by diving. Diving ducks do not walk on land as well as the dabbling ducks.
Their legs tend to be placed further back on their bodies to help propel them when diving underwater.
Heavier than dabbling ducks to help them submerge more easily, but have more difficulty taking off to fly.

Essentially marine outside the breeding season.
Many species have developed specialized salt glands to allow them to tolerate salt water, but these have not yet developed in young birds.

The place where a particular species lives and grows.
Essentially the physical environment that surrounds (influences and is utilized by) a species population.