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Waterfowl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Waterfowl, also waterbirds, are wildfowl which prefer a wetland habitat. These include ducks, geese and coots.
They are strong swimmers with medium to large bodies. They have historically been an important food source, and continue to be hunted as game, or raised as poultry for meat and eggs.
The domestic duck is often kept as a pet.
Some definitions of the term 'waterfowl' include the saltwater shorebirds or waders, which include seagulls, pelicans, and herons, as well as seabirds such as the albatross, and even the penguin, but 'fowl,' as defined, refers to birds of domestic use.
The following are groups of birds traditionally classed as waterfowl.
Order Anatidae (Web-footed, approximately 147 species)
- Duck
- Goose
- Swan
Order Anseriformes (Web-footed, lamellate bill)
Order Gruiformes (Highly water-adapted members of the rail family, not web-footed)
- Coot
- Moorhen