Waterfowl 

The waterfowl family is made up of ducks, geese and swans. Waterfowl can swim, float and even dive. Many waterfowl migrate long distances every year.

Waterfowl adapted to life in the water:-

A Waterfowl have webbed feet that help them paddle. They have flat bills, and their
feathers have a coating of oil that works like waterproofing. The feathers of ducks, eider (sea ducks) and geese are soft and warm. They are used to stuff pillows, quilts and sleeping bags.

Black swans are found in Australia. They are excellent swimmers. They are also the fastest flyers among waterfowl.

Waterfowl Migration

Most waterfowl are migratory. They migrate to avoid the heavy rains and hot summers in the south and the bitter winters in the north. Waterfowl often travel long distances in search of pleasant weather.

Snow geese nest in the Arctic tundra in the summer and fly south to spend the winter in Mexico. In winter, bar-headed geese migrate from India to Tibet.

They fly 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) a day over the Himalayas, the highest mountains in the world. Flying at 3,600–4,300 metres (12,000–14,000 feet), they survive winds that blow at more than 322 kilometres per hour (200 miles per hour) and freezing temperatures.

Although oxygen is low at such heights, waterfowl are able to absorb more oxygen with each breath while flying.