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Birds with webbed feet11/13/2022 ![]() You’ve seen this behavior with the classic mallards, for sure, but also included in this category are wood ducks, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, American wigeon, northern pintail, northern shoveler, and gadwall.ĭiving ducks. When these ducks feed, they’ll tip forward in the water so their rear-ends are pointed up in the air or they’ll skim food from the surface of the water using their bills. Photos: blue-winged teal by Doug Greenberg / redhead by Robert Pruner / common mergansers by Eric Ellingson / surf scoter by Mick Thompsonĭabbling ducks. If you’re birding somewhere in town, don’t be fooled by domestic geese often found at local parks, which can also be white in color. These are more common in rural areas as these geese like to feed in cornfields. Mixed in with flocks of Canada geese may be some snow geese, of which there are white- and blue-morphs. They have a unique, squeaky call ( listen here), so if you hear a flock of geese flying above that isn’t “honking” quite like you’d expect Canada geese to, you should take a second look. Their presence is on the rise in Wisconsin over the last several decades. Keep your eyes peeled for flocks of greater white-fronted geese, nicknamed “specklebellies” for the black barring on their bellies. You’d be smart to not assume that every goose in that flock is a Canada goose this time of year, too. Watching flocks of thousands of geese land or take off from the water is a visual and auditory thrill. They may not seem “exciting” but I guarantee you’ll have a new appreciation for them when you see them gathered by the thousands. I know y’all have seen Canada geese before. Next week, I’ll have a follow-up post with more in-depth advice about the particulars of waterfowl identification. This week’s post will focus on the types of birds you’ll see and some locations you might go look for them. Learning to sort out different types of birds you’re likely to see on the water is the first step in getting better at waterfowl identification. This week’s Entryway to Birding blog will help you get familiar with the wide variety of waterbirds you might see over the next few months-and help you cultivate an appreciation for everything from their gorgeous plumages to their weird antics. Many of these birds will stick around until there’s no open water, meaning the next few months will be prime time for waterfowl watching. Late October and November kicks off waterfowl season, bringing us swans, geese, ducks, coots, loons, and grebes galore. I missed them more than I expected.įall migration has come in waves, with shorebirds in August, warblers in September, and sparrows in October. It’s mid-October and the American coots are definitely back, congregating in large flocks on our nearby lakes. That’s why we wear flippers for underwater swimming.“The coots are back!” is a sentence that I never imagined myself exclaiming with such joy, but here we are. As they spread their toes, the webbing creates a larger surface to push more water. Having webbed feet allows these animals to swim so much more efficiently. So, it’s not specific to the type of animal, more so due to whether or not they need them to swim better. It’s not only birds that have webbed feet, but there are also some mammals that do too. Some obvious examples are penguins, ducks, swans, beavers, and so on. The quick and simple answer is that chickens don’t need webbed feet.Ĭhickens have evolved (with our help) to the point where they are right now and they serve their purpose perfectly - laying eggs and providing meat.Īnimals that have webbed feet do so because they need to swim. In Summary - Do Chickens Have Webbed Feet?.There’s always a reason that makes sense though as I’ll explain in this article. Not having webbed feet is one of the physical differences chicks have compared to some other birds. Sometimes chickens are born with some webbing, if it’s an issue it can be fixed. A lot of birds do have webbed feet, especially those that swim, of course. ![]()
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