Ducks, swans and geese | Anatidae

Eenden, ganzen en zwanen | Patos, gansos y cisnes

The bill is put to very different uses in this family: the Black Swan grazes water plants a few decimetres down on a long neck, the shelducks and the goose-like species graze on land, and the Blue Duck of New Zealand's mountain rivers has a leathery flap on each side of the bill tip with which larvae are scraped from between stones without wearing the edge away. The male Musk Duck Biziura carries a large leathery lobe beneath the bill and performs on the water with two slapping kicks and a shrill whistle that carries half a kilometre. Several species nest in tree hollows, and the ducklings drop metres to the ground unharmed when they leave. After breeding all the flight feathers are moulted at once; that time is spent on large, safe waters, sometimes with thousands of birds together.