Duck is the common name for a number of species in the
Anatidae bird family. The ducks are divided between several
different subfamilies listed in full in the Anatidae article.
Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than their
relatives the swans and geese, and may be found in both
fresh and salt water. Ducks exploit a variety of food
sources such as grasses, grains and aquatic plants, fish,
insects, and the like. The sound made by some female ducks
is called a "quack"; a common (and false) urban
legend is that quacks do not produce an echo. The males
(drakes) of northern species often have showy plumage,
but this is moulted in summer to give a more female-like
appearance, the "eclipse" plumage. In many species,
moulting birds are temporarily flightless; they seek out
protected habitat with good food supplies during this
period. This moult typically precedes migration.
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