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What are waterfowl?

Waterfowl are approximately 170 species of ducks, geese, swans, and screamers belonging to the order Anseriformes. Most waterfowl are aquatic, living in or near wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coastlines. Many share similar adaptations for aquatic life, like webbed feet for swimming, long necks and specialized bills for foraging, and highly waterproof outer feathers. Waterfowl are found on every continent of the world.

Learn more about waterfowl via Cornell Lab’s Birds of the World
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Where can I see waterfowl?

Visit a local public wildlife refuge, park, preserve, nature center, or zoo to see and learn about waterfowl. Another way to find waterfowl (or any bird) near you is to use eBird, a free citizen science database where you can search by location for recent bird sightings.

Explore eBird

Educational Activities

Download free printable coloring pages, activities and fact sheets!

Coloring Page: Mandarin Duck
Coloring Page: Brazilian Merganser
Coloring Page: White-headed Duck
Connect the Dots: White-winged Duck
Waterfowl Word Search
Waterfowl Crossword Puzzle
Waterfowl Maze

Waterfowl Videos

Enjoy narrated videos with facts about waterfowl, and video footage (non-narrated) featuring different waterfowl species. For informational captions about each species, please click here to view on YouTube.