Creatures of the Waters

Creatures of the Waters — page 5 — D I D YO U K N O W Ducks make their feathers waterproof l on them They get the by rubbing oi l from special glands on their it on their feathers oi chests and rub ls l with their bi A male wood duck is easily identifiable by his purple and green head his reddish-brown breast flecked with white and his bronze sides Gary W Carter Corbis 8 S EA R C H LIG H T Unscramble these words that have to do with a duck wsmimre nblbiadg dlwaed

Creatures of the Waters — page 6 — i P c t u r e A g e n c y C o r b s i R o g e r W i l m s h u r s t F r a n k L a n e R o y a l t y F r e e C o r b s i hollows near the water There they also eat plants and insects found near the shore Dabbling ducks can fly very fast Diving ducks dive deep down into the water to find things to eat They mostly eat fish They are very strong swimmers Perching ducks make nests in trees and hold on to the branches with their long-clawed toes This is called perching Some may perch on the tall stalks that grow over marshy ponds All ducks are graceful fliers and swimmers But on the ground they waddle from side to side moving slowly in a funny jerky way You usually don’t see a duck waddling too far away from water DUCKS Dabbl e r s Divers a n d P e r c hers Ducks are champion swimmers and are at home almost anywhere near water Some feed and nest in streams and ponds Others live near deep wide lakes Some make their homes on rocky cliffs by the ocean There are three kinds of ducks Dabbling ducks put their heads underwater to eat plants that grow there This way of feeding is called dabbling They build their nests in In winter many ducks fly south where the water is warmer and there’s more to eat But icy Top A dabbling gadwall duck bottom young girl holding a fluffy duckling cold water doesn’t bother them A thick inner layer of soft fluffy feathers called down keeps them warm And their bigger outer feathers help too They’re waterproof Feathers are a duck’s raincoat Every year ducks lose their old feathers and new feathers grow in This is called molting Until the new feathers grow ducks can’t fly So they hide in the grass or on the water to keep safe from enemies LEARN MORE READ THESE ARTICLES GEESE GULLS SWANS nblbiadg dabbling Answer wsmimre swimmer dlwaed waddle 9

Creatures of the Waters — page 7 — Fine-Fea t h e r e d Travelers Geese are found virtually everywhere There’s the wild Canada goose and halfway around the world is the snow goose of Siberia There is the pied goose which lives down under in Australia The rarely seen Hawaiian goose lives out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean The little brant goose nests in very cold Arctic areas The wild goose called the greylag is found in Europe Geese spend a lot of time in the water Like ducks they have a coat of oil on their feathers that keeps them from getting too wet And the soft lines that make a V shape This formation helps keep them from getting tired as they fly because each goose gets a lift from the air flowing off the goose ahead LEARN MORE READ THESE ARTICLES DUCKS GULLS SWANS D I D YO U K N O W in Asia and Europe have kept loud geese as guards Geese make People honking cries when danger appears A f t e r c h a s i n g t h e e n e m y a w a y t h e y c a c k l e t r i u m p h a n t l y 10 J u l i l e H a b e C o r b s i D R o b e r t L o r r i F r a n z C o r b s i Top Mother goose nuzzling her gosling young goose bottom snow geese flying in a V formation feathers beneath called down keep them warm even in the iciest of waters Down is so good at keeping things warm that people often use it in winter coats and in comforters It’s also good in pillows because it’s so soft Geese are fairly large birds often standing three feet tall despite their short legs Geese may look somewhat silly when they waddle on land But their sturdy legs actually help them walk more steadily than ducks or swans do Geese have webbed feet that make them strong swimmers They are also powerful fliers They can make especially long flights during their annual migrations to their winter feeding grounds You may see groups of geese traveling south in the fall in

Creatures of the Waters — page 8 — GEESE S EA R C H LIG H T How use do people down feathers A Canada goose flies close to the water because the feathers are soft and very warm Answer People use down to stuff pillows quilts and coats 11 G e t t y I m a g e s

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