Duck and Covered Trivia Quiz

Answer: Duck

A wild duck found on nearly every continent, the mallard perhaps epitomizes the topic at hand. Belonging to the Anatinae subfamily (along with swans and geese), it's what's known as a dabbling duck. They generally live in wetlands and are commonly easily domesticated.

Originally, the mallard was native to North America and much of Europe and Asia; they were introduced to South America, Southern Africa, and Oceania over time. Interestingly, in some locations, the ducks have been at risk of overpopulation and invasive tendencies, edging out other native duck species.

Answer: Duck

Originally an American duck, the muscovy is fairly large and distinguishable because it tends to have white plumage with occasional black coverage; no matter which way you look at it, it looks nothing like a mallard duck. Though its common home is in tropical regions, the muscovy can be found as far north as the American Midwest.

Because they're a larger duck than most, they're less apt to migrate long distances so, while they can tolerate cooler weather, they generally reside closer to the Equator.

Though the word 'Muscovy' has strong ties to Russian history, these birds have nothing to do with that. The actual meaning behind the name, at least in the ducks' case, is unknown.

Answer: Duck

A small North American sea duck, the bufflehead can be found in nearly every Canadian province and continental U.S. state. Though these birds migrate south in the winter, they roost in the far north, making their breeding grounds in the safer woodlands and waterways of the Canadian territories and Alaska. Because they're seafaring birds, most of their food comes from unfrozen waterways; heading south is a necessity if they're to survive in spite of harsh northern winters.

The bufflehead also happens to be one of the smallest ducks in North America.

Answer: Duck

Widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, the gadwall, like the mallard, is considered a dabbling duck, known for typically residing near bodies of water. Found in either a ruddy brown or grey plumage, the gadwall blends well into wetlands and wooded areas, relying on a smaller size and quieter disposition to evade predators. Though commonly hunted in North America, Europe, and Asia, the gadwall is also well-kept internationally, with populations frequently monitored to ensure steady growth.

Answer: Duck

The garganey is a duck that makes its home across most of the Eastern Hemisphere, residing across Northern Eurasia over the summer months and then migrating as far south as Australia during the winter. Another wading bird that remains close to lakes and wetlands, garganeys have mottled plumage in brown and grey.

The name 'garganey' is believed to come for the Italian word for 'throat', possibly a nod to the unique mating call of the male bird.

Answer: Not a Duck

Though known as loons in North America, these birds are known as divers in the UK. No matter what you call them, however, they're not ducks.

Known for their distinct colouration and their distinct calls, loons share many similarities with common ducks (from their size to their activities) but are actually members of the order of Gaviiformes as their bodies make them distinctly more suitable for aquatic living. Due to our understanding of prehistoric bird fossils, it's known that loons come from much older origins, evolutionarily-speaking, than modern ducks.

Answer: Not a Duck

Though swans share the same biological family as ducks (Anatidae), their genus keeps them separate from their fellow birds, and with that, swans are definitively not ducks.

Swans are generally much, much bigger than ducks, being one of the larger waterfowl of the world. There are less than a dozen types of swan though their varieties can be found on nearly every inhabited continent. Swan colouring is basic; they're found in black, white, and a mixture of the two. Both varieties are common symbolic animals in cultures around the globe. Some, notably, have severe tempers.

Answer: Not a Duck

An aquatic diving bird of many varieties, the grebe is not a duck though it can sometimes pass as one based on its behaviour.

Grebes are actually closer to loons in their physicality, navigating waters with webbed feet and waterproof plumage evolved to suit their aquatic lifestyles. Found throughout most of the world save for Arctic and desert ecosystems, they're also migratory...provided they can fly. A small handful of grebes (found in South America) are completely flightless, relying on their diving abilities to survive in danger.

Answer: Not a Duck

Wetland birds of the family Rallidae, coots are not ducks but they do make their homes in the same spots, making it fairly easy to confuse the two.

Coots are known for being ground-dwellers instead of aquatic fowl and while they live near water, it's rare to find them out on it. On land, their dark plumage is meant to blend in with thick brush and reeds though they generally have colouration on their face. It's most likely that coots originated in South Africa before spreading to other continents (there's even a species on Hawai'i) though there are ten types of coot covering the globe.

Answer: Not a Duck

There are many names for the gallinule though this one is derived from its genus name, Gallinula, which is derived from the Latin word for 'little hen'. It's not a duck.

What many refer to this bird as, however, is the 'marsh hen' or the 'moorhen'. The bird landing between the grebe and the coot, it resides on the edges of water in wetland regions, but wades into bodies of water to feed. Common moorhens are found in the Eastern Hemisphere excluding Australia.