Ducks need water for reasons connected to their biology and survival. Aquatic environments are fundamental to a duck’s daily existence, serving as their habitat for essential activities. This profound relationship is evident in their physical adaptations and behaviors, highlighting how water integrates into nearly every aspect of their lives.
Built for the Water
Ducks possess features that make them well-suited for aquatic life. Their webbed feet act as efficient paddles for propulsion, allowing them to glide through water. These feet also help them navigate muddy terrain by distributing their weight like snowshoes.
A gland near their tail, called the preen gland, secretes an oily substance. Ducks spread this oil over their feathers during preening, creating a waterproof barrier. This oil, combined with feather structure, prevents water from reaching their skin and traps air beneath their plumage.
This trapped air insulates against cold water and contributes to buoyancy, enabling them to float. Diving ducks have denser bodies and can compress feathers to expel air, reducing buoyancy for underwater foraging. Their streamlined body shape minimizes drag, allowing efficient movement through water.
Life-Sustaining Water Activities
Water is essential for various activities crucial for survival. They use water for foraging, with different species employing distinct techniques. Dabbling ducks feed by tipping their bodies forward to reach aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in shallow water. Diving ducks plunge entirely underwater to pursue fish, mollusks, and other aquatic creatures in deeper areas.
Ducks need water deep enough to submerge their heads for cleaning nostrils and preventing health issues. Preening is also performed in water. Ducks use their bills to clean and align feathers, distributing waterproofing oil from their preen gland, vital for maintaining feather condition and insulation. This process keeps plumage functional and removes dirt, debris, and parasites.
Water also aids thermoregulation, allowing ducks to cool down and avoid heat stress. Their bodies adapt to cold water due to insulating air trapped in their feathers and a countercurrent heat exchange system in their legs and feet. This system minimizes heat loss by transferring warmth from outgoing arterial blood to cooler venous blood, keeping their feet just above freezing while maintaining core body temperature. Water provides refuge from land predators, offering an escape route by allowing ducks to dive or swim to deeper areas.
Where Ducks Prefer Water
Ducks prefer various aquatic environments that provide resources and safety. They are drawn to freshwater sources like ponds, lakes, rivers, and even temporary puddles. Wetlands and marshes are favored habitats, offering abundant aquatic plants, insects, small fish, nesting grounds, and shelter.
Water depth significantly influences a duck’s choice of habitat. Many species prefer shallow wetlands, providing easy access to submerged aquatic plants and invertebrates. Dabbling ducks typically forage in water between 3 to 8 inches deep, while larger dabblers can feed in depths up to 18 inches.
Diving ducks require deeper water, generally ranging from 18 inches to 6 feet, to effectively forage for food. Vegetation cover, such as cattails and water lilies, is also important, offering both food and protection. Ducks seek calm waters with a mix of shallow and deeper areas for feeding and resting needs.