...Duck Designs
from Ducks Unlimited's Puddler magazine Spring 1999

As Special Feature showed us, ducks are designed to be great swimmers, walkers and fliers. They are one of the few animals that have aced the worlds of water, land and air. Of course, ducks spend most of their time in water. That's where they feed, take cover and sometimes build nests. The way a duck acts when it is in the water can tell you a lot about it. In fact, ducks are split into two groups based on their water, land and air habits: dabblers and divers.

Knowing which group a duck belongs to is helpful for scientists and birdwatchers. It can help you, too, if you see a duck you don't already know. Check out the differences between dabblers and divers.

Dabbler or Diver?
The easiest way to tell dabblers and divers apart is where you find them. Dabbling ducks spend most of their time in shallow waters. Diving ducks swim in deeper waters. If you see a duck in the ocean or in the middle of a big lake, you can bet it's a diver. Here are other important differences you can use to tell dabblers and divers apart.

DABBLERS

MOVING THROUGH WATER
Dabblers sit high on the water. They kick their feet one at a time to paddle along. Dabblers only dive when they are   in danger, and they don't go very deep.

FEEDING
Dabblers float on the water's surface while they feed. They stick to shallow waters, where they can dip their heads below water to grab for food. You often see a dabbler with just its tail sticking up from the water. This is called "tipping up." Dabblers eat more plants than animals. A dabbler feeds by sucking in water and squirting it out, trapping bits of food in its mouth.

BODY SHAPE
Dabblers have rounded bodies. They walk steadily on land.

WINGS AND FLIGHT
A dabbler's wings are long and wide for its body size. This helps a dabbler take off easily. Dabblers can spring straight into the air from any spot with just  few wingbeats. Dabblers also use their wings to touch down lightly when  landing.

DIVERS

FEEDING
Divers swim completely underwater for food. In fact, some divers go as deep as 240 feet in search of food! Divers' diets include more animals (such as shelled animals, insects and soft-bodied animals) than dabblers' diets do. Some divers have bills designed to hold food so it can be eaten underwater.

WINGS AND FLIGHT
A diver's wings are small for its body size. This helps it swim more quickly underwater. A diver's small wings also make flying more work. To take off, a diver must "run" across the surface of the water, flapping its wings. Finally, it lifts into the air. Divers splash and slide across the water when touching down, too.

BODY SHAPE
Divers have barrel-shaped bodies and may have very short necks. Their legs are placed far back on their bodies to help them dive. As a result, divers stand straight up when on land. They have a tough time walking, too.

MOVING THROUGH WATER
Divers sit low in the water. They kick their feet one at a time to swim when they're on the surface. When divers head underwater, they squeeze their feathers together. This lets out any extra air (air trapped in feathers helps a duck to float). While underwater divers kick with both feet at the same time to push themselves through the water. They can stay below for a minute or even longer.