Farm Animals Charm Page

Ducks

Ducks are birds and are also called ‘Waterfowl’ because they are normally found in places where there is water like ponds, streams and rivers. A female duck is called a hen. The females have dull-brown feathers so that they can hide from enemies and predators. A male duck is called a ‘drake’, you can identify the male duck by its brightly coloured feathers. A baby duck is called a duckling. Ducks have webbed feet and they cannot feel the cold in their feet even when swimming in icy cold water. The reason for this is because their feet have no nerves or blood vessels in them. The webbed feet are powerful and allows the duck to swim very fast. The duck’s mouth is called a “bill”. The shape of the bill and body features will determine how the duck hunts for its food. A duck has water-proof feathers. There is a special gland called the ‘Preen Gland’ near the ducks tail. This tiny gland produces oil which the duck uses to coat its feathers, this water-proof barrier is extremely important. Without this protective barrier, a ducks feathers would become water-logged as they spend their whole lives around and in water. Beneath the water-proof coat are fluffy and soft feathers which keep the duck warm. Most ducks quack, however, the wood duck squeals. A group of ducks can be called a raft, a team or paddling.

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