| Diving Ducks | ||||||||||||
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| Hardhead | ||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
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| † See also dabbling duck perching duck |
The 16 species of diving duck, also known as pochards, make up a sub-group of the biological subfamily Anatinae, which itself is part of the diverse and very large duck, goose and swan family, Anatidae. The latter article should be referred to for an overview of this very large family of birds.
Although the group is cosmopolitan, most members are native to the northern hemisphere, and it includes several of the most familiar northern hemisphere ducks.
This group of ducks is so named because its members feed mainly by diving, although in fact the Netta species are reluctant to dive, and feed more like dabbling ducks.
These are gregarious ducks, mainly found on fresh water or on estuaries, though the Greater Scaup becomes marine during the northern winter. They are strong fliers; their broad, blunt-tipped wings require faster wing-beats than those of many ducks and they take off with some difficulty. Northern species tend to be highly migratory; southern species do not migrate but the Hardhead travels long distances on an irregular basis in response to rainfall. Diving ducks do not walk as well on land as the dabbling ducks.
The diving ducks, together with the dabbling ducks and perching ducks make up the sub-family Anatinae.
The Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) is difficult to classify, but is often also placed in the diving duck group.
Family Anatidae