The most common and numerous bird in Russia is a duck. This small-sized waterfowl lives on almost all fresh water bodies and slightly saline seas. Of all the ducks, the most common is the mallard. This bird can be found everywhere in Russia.
All representatives of ducks have a wide streamlined body. The beak is flattened, and on the paws of the membrane. The neck is long and flexible. The plumage is dense, impervious to water. A well-developed layer of subcutaneous fat.
Migratory and settled duck species
Many species of wild ducks that do not fly away for the winter choose a zone of warm climate for permanent residence. Mallard refers to migratory ducks who prefer to live on rivers. But not all mallards migrate - there are also birds leading a sedentary lifestyle.
Birds fly in small flocks. Vapors are formed in the fall or already at winter, if the individuals winter together. Finally, pair formation occurs in spring during nesting.
There are dozens of species of geese and ducks inhabiting Russian open spaces. Ducks belong to the order Anseriformes. Migrate to warmer climes for the winter: pintail, mandarin duck, mallard, teal-whistle, pegans, killer whales, cinder, etc.
Breeds of domestic ducks
On a personal plot usually contain meat and decorative types of ducks. The first species is domesticated mallard and musky duck. One is from Russia, the second is a typical representative of the American continent.
Breeding and taming of ducks began a long time ago, several millennia ago. So all representatives of numerous modern species belong to these two breeds.
The Bashkir colored duck is considered the best in Russia, it is slightly larger than the mallard in size and weight. An Indian runner is a medium-sized species of ducks that has a peculiar posture and resembles a penguin. An indotka, or a musky duck, has skin growths on its head, like a turkey.
Species of domestic ducks include decorative representatives. They are contained solely for beauty and are not used as food. Cape teal, mandarin ducks and caroline are very bright and beautiful birds.
The range of tangerines was originally - East Asia. At nesting flies in the Amur and Sakhalin region, Khabarovsk Territory and Primorye. Loved the mountain rivers and surrounding forests. This is a good swimmer, flies quickly and maneuverably. It is forbidden to hunt a mandarin duck, it is listed in the Red Book.
Meat breeds
Peking duck is the best representative of the meat breed. The breed was raised by Chinese poultry farmers more than 300 years ago in the mountains of Beijing. Gradually, the breed spread throughout the world.
Large head, short and thick legs, long body, slightly elevated. The neck is not very long, the wings fit snugly to the body. The plumage of a Peking duck is white-yellowish in color with a cream tint. This species quickly fattenes and gains mass. Hardy, strong and tolerate severe cold.
The Ukrainian breed has well-developed muscles and a thin bone skeleton. The plumage is dense, in color it is gray, white and reddish. Develop rapidly and gain weight, have normal egg production.
The Moscow white duck is similar in structure to the Peking duck. The breed was bred in the Moscow region. The bird has a long neck, protruding chest, wide back and short legs. Plumage of snow-white color without signs of yellowness.
The musky duck is often dark in color with several light feathers. On the head it has fleshy growths of red color, for which it is often called a warty duck. The body of the bird is large, massive, the neck is short. The birds got their name because of the special musky smell that skin and feathers emit. Ducks are undemanding to food, hardy and not susceptible to disease. Quickly gaining body weight.
Meat and egg breeds
Khaki Campbell bred by crossing several species. The body is elongated, the chest is wide, the neck is medium length. The bird is active, mobile, unpretentious in food. Gives eggs and tasty, tender meat.
Mirror duck has a light brown almost white color. The breed received its name due to the mirror shine of the plumage. The body of the bird is long and wide, short neck and low legs.
Egg breed
The Indian runner has a vertical body layout, which is very reminiscent of a penguin. The bird is mobile and active. The duck has a long neck and long legs that allow her to run fast. In addition to a large number of eggs, it gives tasty tender meat.
Wild ducks inhabiting Russia
Birds of the Utina family live throughout Russia . From the northernmost latitudes to Eastern Siberia, their range has spread. Many species of wild ducks are hunted.
The most common trophy is mallard. Mobile, quickly hides under water if it feels danger. The pintail, on the contrary, quickly rises from the water and flies away, which causes great interest among hunters.
Species of wild ducks of Russia, living in nature, are divided into two groups. The first one includes: mallard, broad-toed nibble, pintail, gum, teal-cracker, etc. They feed in shallow water, spend a lot of time on river islands and meadows. These birds can be found in oak forests, where whole acorns serve as food. The common name for this species is river ducks. In birds, the tail stands out well. River ducks differ in body shape from diving.
Mallard - reference duck
These are the most numerous representatives of river wild ducks. Favorite trophy of hunters. It is represented in the world by 12 species, but the common mallard is most famous among them.
The appearance of a duck can be taken as a reference. Compared to others, these types of ducks have a more streamlined body shape and a shorter neck. The beak is flattened, with tiny cloves on the sides, through which the bird filters the water to feed small plankton and animals.
The wings are powerful, but not long, which indicates the good flying ability of the duck. The tail is slightly narrowed laterally, short and as if cut off at the tip. Paws are slightly set back, short. The mallard has a well-developed coccygeal gland, which is responsible for the water-repellent properties of plumage.
The body of the bird reaches a length of 40-60 cm. The weight of the duck is up to 1 kg, the drake is not much larger than the female individual. But the plumage and color of the male are pronounced. The female mallard has a modest color, in which brown-red tones predominate. Each feather has a whitish border along the edge, this gives a flowing pattern to her body.
The drake does not have streaks at all or only in small areas. The main color is brown, gray and black. The head and neck are dark green in color, cast in the sun with a violet-blue color. The paws of the bird have a bright orange color.
The mallard's range is the most extensive. They chose the shores of fresh water reservoirs, which were overgrown with dense reeds, reeds and shrubs. Ducks get used to the presence of man and settle in the city limits on ponds and canals.
The species of ducks in Russia that live in the north are migratory. Mallards from Eastern Europe leave the northern part of the country from early September to mid-October, they are sent to the north of Africa and Asia Minor. Ducks from Siberia head for winter to China.
During the flight and in wintering flocks are formed, numbering thousands of birds, but when they return back to the nesting sites, they break up into small flocks of 10-15 ducks.
Duck ducks
Representatives of the second group are diving ducks. They need to dive to the depth, while helping themselves with their paws, since these birds have to get food at the bottom. Diving species of ducks in Russia: red-nosed duck, red-headed duck, crested niello, googol.
This is a large group of birds that inhabits the vast territory of Russia. They inhabit and nest on the sea coasts. In winter they migrate to warm climatic zones. Species of diving ducks are represented by birds of rather large weight, which have a massive physique and short legs. These are excellent swimmers and divers, they can stay under water for up to 3 minutes.
Blacken
The representative of the genus duck. Refers to diving ducks. It has a short neck, large head. These are small and stocky duck species. The photo and name of the duck can be easily identified. The collared black has a black head and neck, as if it had a collar on. The red-headed duck has a bright red, almost copper-colored coloration of the head. It can be easily recognized.
A duck spends a lot of time on the water. If necessary, get food from the bottom, dives fully or partially, leaving the back of the body on the surface of the water.
Diving species of ducks can be easily distinguished from river ducks in silhouette. The former have a lower landing and tail they keep lowered. To take off, they need a small take-off, and river ones can take off almost vertically. It rarely comes black on land.
In Russia, 5 varieties of blacks inhabit and nest . crested blacken, red-headed dive, rem-dive dwell in the European territory of the country to Primorye.
Ducks living in the north of Russia
In the northern latitudes of Russia, in the Yamal-Nenets Okrug, 23 species live, and 18 undergoes a nesting phase there. According to recent estimates, the number of all ducks living in the district reaches 12 million.
Marine blacken
Marine blackening is a northern duck. Species were chosen by the tundra zones of Russia, from west to east of the country, subarctic and arctic latitudes of Eurasia. In Russia, a duck can be found west of the Urals (right up to the coast of the Arctic Ocean) and on Yamal.
Blackening is a migratory bird that stops for wintering on the coast of moderate latitude. In winter, he swims from the shore at a distance of 10 m. He prefers narrow bays and lagoons.
Males are painted more colorful. Black and white range of plumage, wings and back are pockmarked. Legs are bluish gray. The female has a modest coloration. The plumage is dominated by brown tones. From the pond blackening rises quickly, flies easily and rapidly. Great dives to great depths. Chicks can dive into the water on the day of hatching, but literally for a second, due to their light weight. But after 6 weeks after birth, they calmly swim under water up to 15 m.
Preferred places for nesting are marshy, mostly overgrown with shrubs of the lake. It arranges its nests on the ground near the water itself in sedge thickets. Marine blackening is a migratory bird and flies to the coasts of moderate latitude for wintering.
The food is mollusks, small fish, leaves, seeds and green parts of aquatic plants, which are caught at the bottom of the northern duck. Types of blackened mainly keep in small flocks. Serve as trophies for hunters.