The duck is a web footed bird that usually lives near the water. There are both domestic and wild duck and their meat are considered great table fare. Some ducks are considered prized as game birds. More than 40 different kinds of duck live in North America!

Ducks eat frogs,fish, insects and snails. They will also feed on grains, grasses and other kinds of plant life. The mother ducks lay from 6 to even sometimes 16 eggs in the same nest. The nest is usually made of leaves, grass, and other materials. Sometimes, 2 ducks will lay on a single nest. Most nest are built near water but some, depending on area, will nest in hollows.
The male ducks have more brilliant of the feathers than the female. When they shed their feathers in the summer however, they become covered with '' eclipse'' or dull plumage. Ducks often live together like geese in large flocks. They travel south to the wetlands which is called '' migrating'' and thats where the hunting takes place.

There are 3 main kinds of wild ducks. There are more species but we will focus on the ones that are most seen by the outdoorssman. Diving ducks, which get their food from below the surface of the water. River ducks, which feed on the shallows of the river. Mergansers, which have narrow bills and live on fish. We have displayed pictures of the river ducks the only duck that is good to eat. All other kinds are not considered good table fare.