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Geese and ducks are just two types of water birds, which include seabirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, and numerous other forms of birds. Video of gulls, ducks, and swans feeding on the Danube River in Vienna (2014) A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water.
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.
When preening, a bird (such as this red lory) draws individual feathers through its beak, realigning and re-interlocking the barbules.. Preening is a maintenance behaviour found in birds that involves the use of the beak to position feathers, interlock feather barbules that have become separated, clean plumage, and keep ectoparasites in check.
While shortcomings certainly occur in Livezey's analysis, [citation needed] mtDNA is an unreliable source for phylogenetic information in many waterfowl (especially dabbling ducks) due to their ability to produce fertile hybrids, [2] in rare cases possibly even beyond the level of genus (see for example the "Barbary duck").
By 2007, $827 million had been spent in Canada to purchase and enhance waterfowl habitats encompassing 4.4 million acres (18,000 km²). [5] In total, joint ventures have invested $4.5 billion to protect 15.7 million acres (64,000 km²) of such habitats. [2] The plan coordinates activities with other organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited.
Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Ducks Unlimited became involved with multiple clean-up efforts in Gulf states. The organization worked with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to protect approximately 79,000 acres of waterfowl and other waterbird habitats. [19]
Preening and cleaning. [10] Sometimes birds use a special claw (for example, barn owls have a so-called "feather comb"). Some herons and nightjars use the claw for cleaning the head. [2] Heat loss regulation (herons, gulls, giant petrels, storks, New World vultures, ducks, geese) [1] [2]