Unlike other diving ducks, the Netta species are reluctant to dive, and feed more like dabbling ducks. Their body is designed in a different way. Dabbling ducks spring into the air to take flight. These ducks dive in the water completely to get food. These types of sea-ducks are found in very northern, Arctic habitats. These feed on snails and other insects. The colored wing patches of these birds lack the brilliance of the speculums of puddle ducks. Diving duck species include the scaups, goldeneyes, canvasback, and redhead. Diving Ducks The 15 or so living species of diving duck, commonly called pochards or scaups, are part of the diverse and very large duck, goose, and swan family, Anatidae. Diving ducks belong to the subfamily Aythyinae. Diving ducks “take the plunge” by diving below the water’s surface. Eider . There are about sixteen species of Diving Duck (Subfamily: Aythyinae) including the Canvasback, Ferruginous Duck, Hardhead, Marbled Duck, Pochard (Baer's, Common, Madagascar, Red-crested, and Southern), Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Rosybill, Scaup (Greater, Lesser, and New Zealand), and the Tufted Duck. Diving duck, any duck that obtains its food by diving to the bottom in deep water rather than by dabbling in shallows (see dabbling duck). 03 of 12. Watch how it takes off Netta is a genus of diving ducks. The latter article should be referred to for an overview of this very large family of birds. They have legs located near the rear side, which help them swim underwater. They are strong fliers; their broad, blunt-tipped wings require faster wing-beats than those of many ducks and they take off with some difficulty. These consist of two panels, one featuring the diving duck species, the other the dabbling duck species, which when combined together, give a fairly comprehensive view […] These are gregarious ducks, mainly found on fresh water. The Diving ducks belong to the Aythyinae subfamily. WWA’s Duck ID sign panel program: Another area where WWA is able to provide community service, through our local chapter volunteers, is through our Duck Identification sign panel program. A diving duck is a duck that dives completely underwater to search for food. Here are a few tips for identifying some common species within these categories: Watch what it does when it eats. Diving ducks frequent the larger, deeper lakes and rivers, and coastal bays and inlets. These ducks can swim underwater and eat a wider variety of food than dabbling ducks including vegetation, invertebrates and fish. North American waterfowl are often divided into five categories: Dabbling ducks - These ducks feed by tipping down to reach aquatic plants and invertebrates below the surface. Dabbling duck species include the Mallard, the Northern pintail, American wigeon, and different Teals. Dabbling ducks go “bottoms up” when feeding. The biggest distinction in the duck world is between divers and dabblers. Ron Knight / Flickr / CC by 2.0. Since many of them have short tails, their huge, paddle feet may be used as rudders in flight, and are often visible on flying birds. To take flight, diving ducks need a running start across the water. DIVING DUCKS. What is a diving duck? Although most diving ducks tend to stick to deeper bodies of water, some do frequent smaller ponds as well. These ducks are agile swimmers that dive far beneath the surface of the water to get food, including small fishes, and aquatic plants; they also feed on snails and insects. 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