Ducks
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Anas platyrhynchos domesticus
CLASS
Aves
FAMILY
Anatidae
DIET
Plant material, grains, small fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans
SIZE
2-9 lbs, 1-3 ft tall, 4-5 ft wingspan, depending on breed
HABITAT & RANGE
Forests & wetlands worldwide
Fun Facts
- Ducks typically live up to 10 years of age.
- Many ducks have claws on the ends of their webbed feet to help them move on land easier.
- Duck feathers are waterproof and help keep them insulated and warm in water.
- Maymont is home to three ducks: Welsh Harlequin, Cayuga and Blue Swedish.
- Blue Swedish ducks developed around the 1840s in an area called Pomerania, which comprises the coastal regions of Germany, Holland and Belgium.
- Welsh Harlequin ducks are some of the best egg-laying duck breeds; they can lay up to 250 eggs a year.
- Cayuga ducks are known for laying eggs that vary in color from white to black, depending on a variety of factors (including the time of year).
- Did you know that feeding wild ducks is actually harmful to them? Oftentimes, the food people feed ducks can make them very sick and unable to fly. Feeding wild animals also causes habituation, which means a loss of the fear of humans. This can cause animals to get too close to humans, sometimes resulting in injury to both the animal and the human. The best way to interact with wildlife is observation and taking photographs!