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Waterfowl: WATER A duck's lifestyle is closely tied to water. Ducks swim, feed, bathe, hide from danger and often build nests in water. Look closely at a duck's body and you'll notice it's built for wet living! A special kind of eyelid covers a duck's eye when it goes underwater. These eyelids act like goggles. They are clear and allow the duck to see. Water cannot get in the duck's eyes. A duck's feathers trap air, which helps the duck float. When a duck dives, it squeezes air from its feathers. A duck's bill has bumpy edges that look like teeth on a comb. These edges help a duck strain food from water. The duck sucks water in through its bill and squirts it out. Water can pass by the edges of the duck's bill. Food gets trapped inside. A duck's feathers are coated with oil. The oil makes the feathers waterproof. The feathers stay dry, which keeps the duck warm. Air sacs inside a duck's body help it float when they fill with air. When a duck dives, these air sacs empty out. Other water wizards A water boatman is well named. Its back legs are oversized and are shaped like boat oars. A water boatman's legs push it along with great speed. A frog is hatched in water and grows up there as a tadpole. Adult frogs live on land but lay eggs in water and stay near water to hunt food. Frogs are great swimmers. Water plants are specially designed to pull oxygen and carbon dioxide from the water around them and the soil below. Water plants also have extra air in their leaves and stems to help them float. Underwater leaves are often thin and flexible. Water passes around them easily so they don't tear. LAND Many ducks nest on land. All ducks can walk and rest and land, too. You may also see ducks feeding in groups, or flocks. Living in flocks helps keep ducks safe. There are more eyes to watch for danger. When a duck is frightened, it doesn't stay on land for long. It heads for the air or the water. Ducks often feed on land. Many ducks eat acorns, and other nuts and seeds from trees. Ducks will also eat leftover crops in farm fields. Female ducks, or hens, have feathers that blend in with the land around them. This makes them hard to spot when they are sitting on a nest. Other land wizards A mole makes its home under the ground. It has oversized front paws for digging. Because it spends its life in the dark,a mole is practically blind. It follows its nose instead of its eyes to get where it's going. A rabbit hops quickly over the ground using powerful hind legs. When a rabbit runs, it zigzags back and forth so it is hard to catch. AIR When a duck needs to get somewhere fast, it just flies there! Ducks are great fliers. In fact, they may migrate thousands of miles between their winter and summer homes. A duck's bones are hollow to make its body lighter. This helps it fly more easily. A duck has wings to fly. A duck uses its wings to steer, too. A duck has powerful muscles attached to a large bone in its chest. These muscles move the duck's wings. Other air wizards A butterfly has many of the same adaptations ducks do to help it fly. It's light and it has large wings powered by strong "muscle-like" tissue. This monarch butterfly makes long migrations, too...in one day, it may fly more than 80 miles during migration! Even parts of a plant can "move" from one place to another to sprout into new plants. One popular way to do this is to have seeds that catch the air. You have probably seen dandelion seeds like this one floating through the air in late summer. They touch down in new places and take root. |
