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American Pekin flock. The Pekin or White Pekin is an American breed of domestic duck, raised primarily for meat. [6] [7] It derives from birds brought to the United States from China in the nineteenth century, [8] and is now bred in many parts of the world. [6]
The white-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) is a whistling duck that breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America. This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight.
Whistling ducks were first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae in 1758: the black-bellied whistling duck (then Anas autumnalis) and the West Indian whistling duck (then Anas arborea). [1] In 1837, William John Swainson named the genus Dendrocygna to distinguish whistling ducks from the other waterfowl. [2]
Prize-winning Aylesbury duck (front) and drake (rear), 1873. The Aylesbury duck is a breed of domesticated duck, bred mainly for its meat and appearance.It is a large duck with pure white plumage, a pink bill, orange legs and feet, an unusually large keel, and a horizontal stance with its body parallel to the ground.
This is a list of the breeds of domestic duck which have official recognition at national or international level. [1]Most breeds of duck derive from the wild mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, while a small minority are descendants of the Muscovy duck, Cairina moschata.
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which includes over 170 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans.
The harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) is a small sea duck. It takes its name from Harlequin (Italian Arlecchino, French Arlequin ), a colourfully dressed character in Commedia dell'arte . The species name comes from the Latin word "histrio", meaning "actor".
The specific epithet albellus is a Latin diminutive of albus meaning "white". [8] The term smew has been used since the 17th century and is of uncertain origin. It is believed to be related to the Dutch smient ("wigeon") and the German Schmeiente or Schmünte, "wild duck." [9] It is probably derived from smee, a dialectal term for a wild duck ...