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Quiz about Duck and Dive
Quiz about Duck and Dive

Duck and Dive Trivia Quiz


Walking along my local river I can see several species of ducks and other water fowl. This quiz is about the birds I saw on one of my walks in the English countryside.

A multiple-choice quiz by clevercatz. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
clevercatz
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
392,879
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
592
Last 3 plays: Guest 51 (10/10), calmdecember (7/10), Edzell_Blue (9/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. The first duck I saw on my walk is one of the most familiar in Britain. The male has a dark green head and the female is a mottled brown colour. What duck did I spot? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The next duck I saw was a small dabbling duck with a chestnut head, broad green eye patches and a black beak. What duck, with the scientific name Anas crecca, had I just seen? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Rounding a bend in the river I saw a large, rather goose-like, duck with a dark green head, a red beak, some black markings and a chestnut breastband. What duck, with the scientific name Tadorna tadorna, was it? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Swimming on the river not far away was a black waterbird with a distinctive white bill and forehead which gave the impression that it was bald. What breed of bird was it? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The next bird I saw on the water was a black waterfowl with a red beak with a yellow tip and a red forehead. What bird was I looking at? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The next bird I saw is one of Britain's largest and heaviest birds. It was white with a long s-shaped neck and an orange bill with a black base. What kind of bird was it? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The next bird I saw was an elegant bird with a long white neck, ornate head plumes and a sharp beak. With the scientific name Podiceps cristatus what bird was I seeing? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The next waterbirds I encountered on my walk were a large group of geese with distinctive black heads and necks and large white throat patches. I knew the breed had been introduced into Britain from North America. What breed of goose was it? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Another bird I saw on my walk was a small waterbird with a short bill and a blunt looking rear. I knew this bird was called a dabchick. What other name is it known by? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Just as I was nearing the end of my walk I saw a blur of glistening blue flash across the river. What bird, with the scientific name Alcedo atthis, did I nearly see? Hint





Most Recent Scores
Dec 17 2024 : Guest 51: 10/10
Nov 23 2024 : calmdecember: 7/10
Nov 09 2024 : Edzell_Blue: 9/10
Nov 03 2024 : Reveler: 9/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The first duck I saw on my walk is one of the most familiar in Britain. The male has a dark green head and the female is a mottled brown colour. What duck did I spot?

Answer: Mallard

The mallard (scientific name Anas platyrhynchos) is one of the most familiar ducks seen on the river. The females are very plain in comparison to the males. The females are mainly brown whereas the males have a shiny green head with a white ring around their necks.

It is the female that makes the familiar "quack" noises while the male makes a rasping sound for their call. Most mallard ducks spend the majority of their days in the water.
2. The next duck I saw was a small dabbling duck with a chestnut head, broad green eye patches and a black beak. What duck, with the scientific name Anas crecca, had I just seen?

Answer: Teal

The teal is smaller than the mallard and the male has very distinctive colouring whereas the female resembles a smaller, more delicate, female mallard. The collective name for teals is a "spring" which refers to their manner of taking off from the water in an almost vertical way and then corkscrewing this way and that in flight.
3. Rounding a bend in the river I saw a large, rather goose-like, duck with a dark green head, a red beak, some black markings and a chestnut breastband. What duck, with the scientific name Tadorna tadorna, was it?

Answer: Shelduck

Shelducks are big, colourful ducks which are bigger than a mallard but slightly smaller than a goose. Both sexes have dark green heads and necks, a chestnut breastband and a red beak although the male is larger and brighter than the female and has a pronounced knob at the base of the bill.
4. Swimming on the river not far away was a black waterbird with a distinctive white bill and forehead which gave the impression that it was bald. What breed of bird was it?

Answer: Coot

Coots (scientific name Fulica atra) are Britain's largest species of rail. They are plump wading birds and the male and female are alike. They are often seen in flocks and accompanying larger species of birds, such as swans, where they pick up food disturbed or discarded by the larger birds. Coots can easily dive underwater up to a depth of about two metres.

The expression "bald as a coot" is derived from their distinctive white heads.
5. The next bird I saw on the water was a black waterfowl with a red beak with a yellow tip and a red forehead. What bird was I looking at?

Answer: Moorhen

Moorhens (scientific name Gallinula chloropus) are slightly smaller than their close relative, the coot. They feed on both land and water and so have a varied diet of leaves, berries, seeds, worms, fish and snails. They are also known to eat other birds' eggs. They are sometimes referred to as marsh hens or water hens.
6. The next bird I saw is one of Britain's largest and heaviest birds. It was white with a long s-shaped neck and an orange bill with a black base. What kind of bird was it?

Answer: Mute Swan

Mute swans (scientific name Cygnus olor) can have a wingspan of up to 2.4 metres and are the second largest waterfowl after the trumpeter swan. Despite their name they produce a variety of noises including whistles, grunts and snorting noises. Male swans are called cobs, females are called pens and baby swans are called cygnets.
7. The next bird I saw was an elegant bird with a long white neck, ornate head plumes and a sharp beak. With the scientific name Podiceps cristatus what bird was I seeing?

Answer: Great Crested Grebe

Great crested grebes are graceful waterbirds with an ornate plumage. They dive into the water to feed and are known for their elaborate courtship displays on the water. On land they look clumsy as their legs are placed so far back on their bodies. In the 19th century the great crested grebe almost became extinct in Britain as their feathers were much prized for decorating hats and clothes.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) stopped this barbaric practice and now they are a common sight on British waterways.
8. The next waterbirds I encountered on my walk were a large group of geese with distinctive black heads and necks and large white throat patches. I knew the breed had been introduced into Britain from North America. What breed of goose was it?

Answer: Canada Goose

The Canada goose (scientific name Branta canadensis) is an introduced species of goose from North America which has successfully spread across most of Britain. They were originally introduced into Britain in 1665 as ornamental birds. They form noisy flocks and are often considered as a nuisance in areas such as public parks.
9. Another bird I saw on my walk was a small waterbird with a short bill and a blunt looking rear. I knew this bird was called a dabchick. What other name is it known by?

Answer: Little grebe

The little grebe (scientific name Tachybaptus ruficollis) is the smallest member of the grebe family. They are very good divers and swimmers and dive to seek fish beneath the water. They do not move well on land and rarely come ashore except to breed. If disturbed, little grebes dive underwater and resurface some distance away.

They also submerge themselves so that only their head is showing above the water.
10. Just as I was nearing the end of my walk I saw a blur of glistening blue flash across the river. What bird, with the scientific name Alcedo atthis, did I nearly see?

Answer: Kingfisher

The kingfisher is a stunning electric blue and orange coloured bird which is an expert fisherman. Even though they are so brightly coloured they are extremely shy and notoriously difficult to see except when they are in flight. Kingfishers need to eat their own body weight in food each day to survive.

Their diet is mainly fish but they supplement their intake with aquatic insects such as water beetles.
Source: Author clevercatz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
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This quiz is part of series Commission #52:

If it's not one thing, it's another. In this quiz, titles were fairly straight forward-- two things separated by the articles 'and' and 'or'. This fifty-second Commission was put in front of the Author's Lounge in May 2018.

  1. Animal or Mineral Easier
  2. California or Bust Enhancement Average
  3. Is It, or Isn't It? Tough
  4. Duck and Dive Easier
  5. By Hook or By Crook Average
  6. Fact Or Fiction Tough
  7. Still And Sparkling Average
  8. Lemon or Lime Average
  9. All or Nothing Average
  10. Friend or Foe Very Easy
  11. Card or Cash Easier
  12. Spicy or Mild Very Easy

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