Anatidae facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anatidae Temporal range: Early Oligocene – recent
Clockwise from top left: mallard, mute swan, Brazilian teal, paradise shelduck, bufflehead, and greylag goose
Scientific classification
Type species
Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758

Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes the ducks, geese and swans.

These birds are adapted for swimming, floating on the water surface, and in some cases diving in at least shallow water.

The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups. The family contains around 146 species in 43 genera.

These are birds that are adapted for swimming, floating on the water surface, and in some cases diving.

Anatids are generally herbivorous as adults, feeding on various water-plants, although some species also eat fish, molluscs, or aquatic arthropods.

The anatids are generally seasonal and monogamous breeders.

A number of species do annual migrations.

A few species have been domesticated for agriculture, and many others are hunted for recreation food. Duck, eider, and goose feathers and down have long been popular for bedspreads, pillows, sleeping bags, and coats.

Since 1600, five species of ducks have become extinct due to the activities of humans, and subfossil remains have shown that humans caused numerous extinctions in prehistory. Today, many more are considered threatened.

Images for kids

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  Landing mallard drake

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  Anatidae: Eurasian teal (Anas crecca), gadwall (Anas strepera), northern pintail (Anas acuta), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), greater scaup (Aythya marila), long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), northern shoveler (Anas clypeata), garganey (Anas querquedula), Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope), ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca), common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), common merganser (Mergus merganser), smew (Mergellus albellus), tufted duck (Aythya fuligula), red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator), common pochard (Aythya ferina). Post of Belarus, 1996.

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  A male mallard duck

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  Maned duck is the only living member of the genus Chenonetta

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  Black swan (Cygnus atratus) skeleton on display at the Museum of Osteology.

See also

In Spanish: Anátidas para niños