Ducks don’t really get enough credit for how darn adorable they are. Sure, some people might be a fan, but a lot of people simply take them for granted. If you get to really know them, they’re quite wonderful creatures with giant hearts. Plus, they’re so stinkin’ cute! Need proof? Keep reading.
Here are 65 sweet ducks that couldn’t be happier to be alive.
After this, ducks will become your favorite animal.
1) Baby naps
This precious duckling is just tuckered out from learning how to be a duck! So, they found the perfect little spot for a quick nap.
Fun duck fact: “All types of ducks are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes swans and geese. There are between 140-175 birds in the Anatidae family, depending on how different subspecies are classified, though not all of them are considered ducks,” says The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “Their webbed feet have no nerves or blood vessels, rendering them incapable of feeling the cold. Which is an important adaptation when you consider that ducks can be found on every continent except for the inhospitable Antarctica,” explains Mental Floss.
Fun duck fact: “A baby duck is called a duckling, and an adult male is a drake. An adult female duck is called a hen or a duck, and a group of ducks can be called a raft, team, or paddling. Generic terms like bird, chick, and flock also apply to ducks,” says The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “After a male duck, or drake’s, chosen mate is hatching eggs,the birds undergo molting, temporarily losing their bright plumage, as well as their ability to fly,” says Mental Floss.
Fun duck fact: “All ducks have highly waterproof feathers as a result of an intricate feather structure and a waxy coating that is spread on each feather while preening. A duck’s feathers are so waterproof that even when the duck dives underwater, its downy underlayer of feathers right next to the skin will stay completely dry,” says The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “The more daylight there is, the more eggs a hen produces. Farmers who raise ducks will often turn to artificial lighting in order to give their hens about 17 hours of light a day,” explains Mental Floss.
Fun duck fact: “Ducks are precocial, which means that ducklings are covered with down and able to walk and leave the nest just a few hours after hatching. This helps protect the young chicks from predators, since they do not need to stay in the vulnerable nest area for long,” says The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “The omnivorous birds also tend to consume gravel, small stones, or sand—not for the nutritional value, but so they can store the substances in their gizzards and use the rough textures to break down food,” says Mental Floss.
Fun duck fact: “A hen will lead her ducklings up to a half mile or more over land after hatching to find a suitable water source for swimming and feeding. As soon as a baby duck’s down is dry after hatching, they will be able to swim. It isn’t unusual to see very tiny ducklings swimming after their mother,” says The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “Because a duck’s eyes are located on either sides of its head, they have a field of vision of nearly 340 degrees. And thanks to the shape of their eyes, they can see objects both near and far simultaneously. To top it off, ducks have threeeyelids and can see in color,” says Mental Floss.
Fun duck fact: “Most duck species are monogamous for a breeding season but they do not often mate for life. Instead, they will seek out new mates each year, choosing the healthiest, strongest, best mate who can help them pass on their genes to a new duckling generation,” explains The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “Very rarely, a severe weather event will trigger a mass migration known as a “grand passage.” There have been only three recorded instances of grand passages: one in 1940, one in 1955, and the most recent in 1995, when a reported 90 million waterfowl migrated from Canada after a severe cold front set in, causing major problems at airports along the birds’ route,” shared Mental Floss.
Fun duck fact: “When constructing her nest, a hen will line it with soft down feathers she plucks from her own breast. This gives the eggs the best possible cushioning and insulation, and exposes the hen’s skin so she can keep the eggs warm more efficiently. Other duck nesting material includes grasses, mud, twigs, leaves, reeds, and other plant material,” said Mental Floss
This little guy’s legs can’t quite reach the ground but he sure looks cute sitting on top of this skateboard. Maybe someday you can ride it, little buddy.
Fun duck fact: “A duck’s bill is specialized to help it forage in mud and to strain food from the water. A hard nail at the tip of the bill helps with foraging, and the lamellae, a comb-like structure on the sides of the bill, strains small insects and crustaceans from water,” shared The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “”According to a study done by scientists at Indiana State University, Mallard ducks stay alert even when they doze. While snoozing in groups, the ducks stationed as “guards” on the outside sleep with one eye—generally the eye facing away from the group—open. In doing so, they control which side of the brain stays awake,” said Mental Floss.
Fun duck fact: “Most male ducks are silent and very few ducks actually “quack.” Instead, their calls may include squeaks, grunts, groans, chirps, whistles, brays, and growls. Females can also make a wide range of different noises, and they are usually more vocal than males,” shared The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “Unlike the young of many other animals, ducklings achieve independence almost immediately after hatching. Babies are born with their eyes wide open, and already possess the layer of down feathers necessary to stay warm. By the time they’re two months old, ducklings have usually learned to fly,” says Mental Floss.
Fun duck fact: “It is a myth that a duck’s quack won’t echo. This has been conclusively disproved through different scientific acoustic tests, and was even featured as “busted” on an episode of the Discovery Channel show Mythbusters,” shared The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “Ducks have been domesticated as pets and farm animals for more than 500 years, and all domestic ducks are descended from either the mallard or the Muscovy duck,” says The Spruce.
Fun duck fact: “There are more than 40 breeds of domestic duck. The all-white Pekin duck (also called the Long Island duck) is the most common variety raised for eggs and meat, especially on large commercial farms,” says The Spruce.
Ducks don’t really get enough credit for how darn adorable they are. Sure, some people might be a fan, but a lot of people simply take them for granted. If you get to really know them, they’re quite wonderful creatures with giant hearts. Plus, they’re so stinkin’ cute! Need proof? Keep reading.
Here are 65 sweet ducks that couldn’t be happier to be alive.
After this, ducks will become your favorite animal.