Sea Duck

 The curious life of the sea lion 

The breeding and feeding habits of these remarkable waterfowl are very different from those of baby ducks 

By Katherine Mehl 

 Mallards make up 42% of all North American duck species. They include common eiders (common, spectacled, Steller's, and king), scoters (black, surf, white-winged), mergansers (common, hooded, and red-breasted) and gold eyes (common and goldeye) . of Iceland), as well as the crested, long-eared duck and the brilliant harlequin duck. With eider feathers of pastel greens and blues against a deep jet black background, or the striking head of a merganser, the water duck is among the most beautiful waterfowl.

Blue streaked Lory

 As the name suggests, water ducks are made to make life in the sea. As most of them spend a large part of the year on our shores, most of these birds breed in northern areas such as Arctic Canada and Alaska. King eiders will even stay in cold water during the winter, staying as far north as open water will allow. This is possible because they have special movements for life in the cold environment, such as thick, in the form of fluff down with the highest insulation properties and special veins and nerves in their legs heat cools the blood before the cold.

yellow collared lovebird

Marine animals are well suited to life in the sea. For example, their beaks are unique - from the heavy eider, which feeds on water, to the long, narrow, colored beaks of the mergensers, which are used to catch and eat fish. . As you can imagine, finding that kind of food requires incredible diving skills. In fact, sea ducks are among the most accomplished of all waterfowl species, with some reportedly diving to depths of 180 feet.

Perhaps the best way to understand how the life history of a water duck differs from that of other ducks is to compare them to the familiar mallard. Of course, there is an obvious difference: Mallards spend their winters on land, not in the sea. They also depend on seasonal wetlands, which can dry out in some years, so mallards are well adapted to move to new areas when habitat conditions change from year to year. . Mallards usually breed every year and lay large clutches of nine to twelve eggs. Their nesting success is low, but the duck's lifespan is not limited, as mallards rely on multiple nests (recovery if nesting attempts fail) each year to increase their chances of breeding ducklings. . They usually live about 2 years. In contrast, sea ducks are delayed in puberty, first spawning at two or three years of age or older. Rain ducks usually depend on stable environments with visible food during the breeding season. Therefore, rain ducks usually return to the same place every year. Sometimes, mallards skip breeding, especially when nesting in the Arctic, where snow and ice can delay breeding. Because of their relatively high altitude, water ducks are generally more expensive than mallards. Unlike mallards, water ducks (except cavity nesters) usually lay four to six small eggs. A sea duck's chances of successfully hatching a nest can be high, but unlike mallards, they usually have only one attempt per year. Most mallards raise their young in open water without weed, which makes outdoor ducklings vulnerable to predators. This means that it is lower for ducks than mallards. However, if a sea duck reaches adulthood, it lives for about seven years. So what do these differences mean for waterfowl managers? Because mallards give birth every year, have large offspring, reproduce frequently, and have the same lifespan as ducks, their population can increase rapidly, as seen in the past decade. . In contrast, sea ducks adapt to stable habitats, are quick to establish new habitats, and produce small numbers of young each year. This means that a small part of the population can be brought, but if their numbers fall, they will slowly recover. This is important information. Eleven of the 15 species of water ducks show population declines in some parts of their range (the exceptions are white-eyes, buffleheads, red mergansers, and common mergansers). In addition, two species (Steller's eider and spectacled eider) are listed as threatened. So, ornithologists need the latest science to establish strategies for sustainable water duck breeding, and they need them now. The reason for the apparent population decline is unknown. Researchers don't know much about the general ecology of many rain ducks and there aren't enough numbers.