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Ducks, Geese, Swans

Most of the birds in this section are members of the order Anseriformes which has three extant families:

Anatidae which includes over 140 species of ducks, geese, and swans.
Anseranatidae includes the Magpie Goose
Anhimidae which includes the three species of Screamers

All species live an aquatic existence and have partially to fully-webbed feet. Another common feature is the internal shape of the bill and how the tongue is shaped to suck in water at the tip and expel it at the sides and rear, trapping small particles for eating. Some of the species in this family have evolved away from this type of feeding but still have the vestiges of this ability.

Screamers

Southern Screamer

Dabbling Ducks

Dabbling Ducks feed on plants in shallow water by dipping their heads in the water or by up-ending themselves with only their tails sticking up out of the water. Dabbling Ducks legs are situated towards the middle of their bodies which gives them the ability to walk on land. They also can leap into the air and are swift fliers.

Falcated Duck	Gadwall	Hawaiian Duck
Laysan Duck	Mallard	Mottled Duck

Wigeons - Dabbling Ducks

American Wigeon	Eurasian Wigeon	American-Eurasian Wigeon
Chiloe Wigeon

Pintails - Dabbling Ducks

Northern Pintail

White-cheeked Pintail

Teals - Dabbling Ducks

Australian Shoveler	Baikal Teal	Blue-winged Teal
Brazilian Teal	Cinnamon Teal	Green-winged Teal
Hottentot Teal	Madagascar Teal	Puna Teal
Ringed Teal	Sunda Teal

Shovelers - Dabbling Ducks

Northern Shoveler

Red Shoveler

Diving Ducks

Diving Ducks mostly feed by diving into the water in search of food. Their legs are situated towards the back of their bodies which helps with their diving but it makes taking off difficult. Thus, some diving ducks "run" across the water to take off. Also, their legs being so far back makes it difficult for them to walk on land.

Canvasback	Ferruginous Duck	Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup	Marbled Teal	Redhead
Red-crested Pochard	Ring-necked Duck	Rosy-billed Pochard
Tufted Duck	White-winged Duck

Eiders and Sea Ducks

Common Eider	Harlequin Duck	King Eider
Long-tailed Duck

Shelducks and related

African Comb Duck	Common Shelduck	South African Shelduck
Egyptian Goose	Orinoco Goose	Paradise Shelduck
Pink-eared Duck	Radjah Shelduck	Ruddy Shelduck
Spur-winged Goose

Scoters

Scoters are seaducks. In North American, they breed in the far north of and migrate south in the winter.

Black Scoter

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Goldeneyes, Stifftails, Smew

Barrow's Goldeneye	Common Goldeneye	Lake Duck
Maccoa Duck	Ruddy Duck	Smew

Bufflehead, Mergansers

Buffleheads and Mergansers are all sea ducks. The mergansers have serrated edges to the bills which help them grip fish.

Bufflehead	Common Merganser	Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser

Perching Ducks, Whistling-Ducks

Black-bellied Whistling Duck	Fulvous Whistling Duck	Lesser Whistling Duck
Plumed Whistling Duck	White-faced Whistling Duck	African Pygmy-goose
Cotton Pygmy-goose	Mandarin Duck	White-backed Duck
Wood Duck

Geese

Ashy-headed Goose	Barnacle Goose	Bar-headed Goose
Brant Goose	Cackling Goose	Canada Goose
Cape Barren Goose	Greater White-fronted Goose	Magpie Goose
Nene	Red-breasted Goose	Ross's Goose
Snow Goose	Swan Goose