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42-599: The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust ( WWT ) is an international wildfowl and wetland conservation charity in the United Kingdom. The trust was founded in 1946 by the ornithologist and artist Sir Peter Scott as the Severn Wildfowl Trust . The first site at Slimbridge was a centre for research and conservation. In a move unusual at the time, he opened the site to the public so that everyone could enjoy access to nature. This organisation later developed into

84-659: A broad and elongated general body plan. Diving species vary from this in being rounder. Extant species range in size from the cotton pygmy goose , at as little as 26.5 cm (10.5 in) and 164 g (5.8 oz), to the trumpeter swan , at as much as 183 cm (6 ft) and 17.2 kg (38 lb). The largest anatid ever known is the extinct flightless Garganornis ballmanni at 22 kg (49 lb). The wings are short and pointed, and supported by strong wing muscles that generate rapid beats in flight . They typically have long necks, although this varies in degree between species. The legs are short, strong, and set far to

126-487: A new partner the following year, whereas the larger swans, geese and some of the more territorial ducks maintain pair bonds over a number of years, and even for life in some species. However, forced extrapair copulation among anatids is common, occurring in 55 species in 17 genera. Anatidae is a large proportion of the 3% of bird species to possess a penis , though they vary significantly in size, shape, and surface elaboration. Most species are adapted for copulation on

168-706: A number of other ducks occasionally lay eggs in the nests of conspecifics (members of the same species) in addition to raising their own broods. Duck, eider, and goose feathers and down have long been popular for bedspreads, pillows, sleeping bags, and coats. The members of this family also have long been used for food. Humans have had a long relationship with ducks, geese, and swans; they are important economically and culturally to humans, and several duck species have benefited from an association with people. However, some anatids are agricultural pests , and have acted as vectors for zoonoses such as avian influenza . Since 1600, five species of ducks have become extinct due to

210-405: A thin and sensitive layer of skin on top (which has a leathery feel when touched). For most species, the shape of the bill tends to be more flattened to a greater or lesser extent. These contain serrated lamellae which are particularly well defined in the filter-feeding species. Their feathers are excellent at shedding water due to special oils. Many of the ducks display sexual dimorphism , with

252-633: A way that works with nature, not against it. Lead shot ammunition used for wildfowl shooting was banned in European wetlands in 2020 following WWT’s scientific research and a campaign by WWT and partners. The new law came into full effect on 15 February 2023. At one time, the trust operated a consultancy business that provides external clients with a comprehensive range of wetland services. These included ecological survey and assessment, habitat design and management, visitor centre planning and design, and wetland treatment systems. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

294-457: A year. A minimum of 80 percent of that revenue goes directly toward habitat conservation . Ducks Unlimited partners with a wide range of corporations, governments, other non-governmental organizations, landowners, and private citizens to restore and manage areas that have been degraded and to prevent further degradation of existing wetlands. DU is also active in working with others to recommend government policies that will influence wetlands and

336-565: Is a registered charity in England and Scotland. Sarah Fowler became the chief executive of the trust in March 2022. Her predecessor was Martin Spray, who was appointed in March 2004. In December 2012, Spray was appointed CBE . Wildfowl The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks , geese , and swans . The family has a cosmopolitan distribution , occurring on all

378-679: Is a result of various sources in China. The rise of urbanization and industries has resulted in pollution and waste in the water. In addition, reclamation projects for construction further threaten ruining the habitats of these birds. For example, the largest of these reclamation projects is the Oufei Project, which spans 8854 Hectares. Experimental evidence of competition has been difficult to obtain in highly mobile animals that cannot be meaningfully confined to plots of limited size. Many such animals are believed to compete with less mobile, resident taxa, but

420-667: Is also used in the context of conservation to refer to any birds that inhabit or depend on bodies of water or wetland areas. Examples of this use include the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and the Wallnau Waterbird Reserve . Some examples of water birds are: The evolution of waterbirds is often mainly centered around adaptations to improve feeding techniques. This includes legs that are adapted to diving or wading and webbing between

462-708: Is found by a relative apparent synapomorphy analysis (RASA) which highlighted certain branches of genes that classified the domestic duck and fowl, for example, as an outgroup. Comparing and understanding these gene patterns allows scientists to classify aquatic birds. Waterbird conservation efforts in the United States are advanced by numerous organizations, including the 700,000 member strong Ducks Unlimited . Employing such methods as conservation easements and outright purchase, it uses federal and state habitat reimbursements, sponsorships, member fees, major gifts, donations, royalties, and advertisement to raise over $ 200 million

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504-653: Is small, mtDNA results must be considered with caution. While a comprehensive review of the Anatidae which unites all evidence into a robust phylogeny is still lacking, the reasons for the confusing data are at least clear: As demonstrated by the Late Cretaceous fossil Vegavis iaai —an early modern waterbird which belonged to an extinct lineage—the Anatidae are an ancient group among the modern birds. Their earliest direct ancestors, though not documented by fossils yet, likewise can be assumed to have been contemporaries with

546-513: The archipelago contains as Anseriformes Branta geese and their descendants, and the moa-nalos as mentioned above. The following taxa, although certainly new species, cannot be assigned even to subfamily; that Kauaʻi is the oldest of the large Hawaiian Islands, meaning the species may have been evolving in isolation for nearly 10  mya (since the Late Miocene ), does not help in determining their affinities: Similarly, Branta rhuax from

588-572: The family was introduced by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1819. While the status of the Anatidae as a family is straightforward, and which species properly belong to it is little debated, the relationships of the different tribes and subfamilies within it are poorly understood. The listing in the box at right should be regarded as simply one of several possible ways of organising

630-420: The mergansers , are primarily piscivorous , and have serrated bills to help them catch fish. In a number of species, the young include a high proportion of invertebrates in their diets, but become purely herbivorous as adults. The anatids are generally seasonal and monogamous breeders. The level of monogamy varies within the family; many of the smaller ducks only maintain the bond for a single season and find

672-629: The Anatidae may be considered to consist of three subfamilies (ducks, geese, and swans, essentially) which contain the groups as presented here as tribes , with the swans separated as subfamily Cygninae , the goose subfamily Anserinae also containing the whistling ducks, and the Anatinae containing all other clades . For the living and recently extinct members of each genus, see the article List of Anatidae species . From subfossil bones found on Kauaʻi ( Hawaiian Islands ), two enigmatic waterfowl are known. The living and assignable prehistoric avifauna of

714-468: The Big Island of Hawaiʻi , and a gigantic goose-like anatid from Oʻahu are known only from very incomplete, and in the former case much damaged, bone fragments. The former has been alleged to be a shelduck, but this was generally dismissed because of the damage to the material and biogeographic considerations. The long-legged Kauaʻi bird, however, hints at the possibility of a former tadornine presence on

756-558: The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, the only United Kingdom charity dedicated solely to promoting the protection of wetland birds and their habitats. Although starting out at Slimbridge, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust now owns or manages nine other reserves in Britain, and advocates for wetlands and conservation issues world-wide. WWT Consulting was an offshoot of the Wildlife & Wetland Trust and

798-619: The ability to fly, and were vulnerable to human hunting pressure and introduced species . Other extinctions and declines are attributable to overhunting, habitat loss and modification, and hybridisation with introduced ducks (for example the introduced ruddy duck swamping the white-headed duck in Europe). Numerous governments and conservation and hunting organisations have made considerable progress in protecting ducks and duck populations through habitat protection and creation, laws and protection, and captive-breeding programmes. The name Anatidae for

840-426: The activities of humans, and subfossil remains have shown that humans caused numerous extinctions in prehistory. Today, many more are considered threatened . Most of the historic and prehistoric extinctions were insular species, vulnerable due to small populations (often endemic to a single island), and island tameness . Evolving on islands that lacked predators, these species lost antipredator behaviours, as well as

882-726: The archipelago. The fossil record of anatids is extensive, but many prehistoric genera cannot be unequivocally assigned to present-day subfamilies for the reasons given above. For prehistoric species of extant genera, see the respective genus accounts. Dendrocheninae – a more advanced relative of the whistling-ducks or an ancestral relative of stifftail ducks paralleling whistling-ducks; if not extinct possibly belong in Oxyurinae (including Malacorhynchus ) Anserinae Tadorninae Anatinae Oxyurinae Incertae sedis Putative or disputed prehistoric anatids are: The Middle Oligocene Limicorallus (from Chelkar-Teniz ( Kazakhstan )

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924-475: The back of the body (more so in the more aquatic species), and have a leathery feel with a scaly texture. Combined with their body shape, this can make some species awkward on land, but they are stronger walkers than other marine and water birds such as grebes or petrels . They typically have webbed feet , though a few species such as the Nene have secondarily lost their webbing. The bills are made of soft keratin with

966-402: The brink of extinction in the 1950s. The trust has over 200,000 members and ten reserves with visitor centres. Together these cover over 20 km (7.7 sq mi), and support over 150,000 birds. They receive over one million visitors per year. The reserves include seven SSSIs ( site of Special Scientific Interest ), five SPAs ( Special Protection Areas ) and five Ramsar sites . In 1962

1008-882: The environment. Through March 2021, Ducks Unlimited had conserved at least 15 million acres of waterfowl habitat in North America. To promote the conservation of waterbirds in America, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service established the Waterbird Conservation for the Americas to facilitate this over such a large area. The purpose of this initiative is to promote international cooperation and partnership to preserve waterbird habitats, create long term sustainability plans, implement specific conservation plans for regions, and support legal action for waterbird conservation on

1050-622: The first Nene geese , a species that at that time was threatened with extinction, were returned to Hawaii after a 25-year effort by the Trust, with the species later being downgraded from endangered to threatened on the IUCN Red List . In 2009 the trust was instrumental in saving the Madagascan Pochard from the brink of extinction in Madagascar.  In 2006 a total 20 birds were discovered with

1092-537: The males being more brightly coloured than the females (although the situation is reversed in species such as the paradise shelduck ). The swans, geese, and whistling-ducks lack sexually dimorphic plumage. Anatids are vocal birds, producing a range of quacks, honks, squeaks, and trumpeting sounds, depending on species; the female often has a deeper voice than the male. Anatids are generally herbivorous as adults, feeding on various water-plants, although some species also eat fish, molluscs, or aquatic arthropods. One group,

1134-445: The many species within the Anatidae; see discussion in the next section. The systematics of the Anatidae are in a state of flux. Previously divided into six subfamilies, a study of anatomical characters by Livezey suggests the Anatidae are better treated in nine subfamilies. This classification was popular in the late 1980s to 1990s. But mtDNA sequence analyses indicate, for example, the dabbling and diving ducks do not belong in

1176-526: The mortality rate of this disease can reach up to 100%, especially in young birds. Avian influenza caused by infection with H5N1 , a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV), has spread in poultry in more than 60 countries in Eurasia and Africa since 1996, when the first outbreak occurred at a goose farm in the Guangdong province in China. H5N1 in wild birds have spread to Asia, Europe, and Africa, and it

1218-636: The most important concern in mass waterfowl production. Free-ranging water birds are the most likely infectious carriers. While the overall epidemiology of DEV is unknown in western Europe, studies conducted in Poland agree with the high levels of transmission between free-ranging water birds. DEV is an aetiological agent of DP, which represents one of the most acute and lethal diseases of waterbirds, and infection can spread easily between farmed and wild waterbirds. Over 48 species of birds, including those not considered waterbirds, are susceptible to infection by DEV, and

1260-412: The non-avian dinosaurs . The long period of evolution and shifts from one kind of waterbird lifestyle to another have obscured many plesiomorphies , while apparent apomorphies are quite often the result of parallel evolution , for example the "non-diving duck" type displayed by such unrelated genera as Dendrocygna , Amazonetta , and Cairina . For the fossil record, see below. Alternatively,

1302-417: The nutrients they need. Outbreaks of diseases spread by waterbirds result from the transition of water-borne viruses to those wild birds. The spread can be caused by dead waterbirds in the vicinity of other organisms, or simply from waterbirds with the virus settling into more densely populated areas (whether by humans or other organisms). Duck plague (DP), also called duck enteritis virus (DEV), presents

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1344-684: The regional and national levels. The loss of wetlands has impacted waterbirds and is driving their extinction in regions where wetlands are polluted. Specifically, in China , 33% of wetlands were lost between 1978 and 2008, which is the primary breeding ground for China's waterbird species such as the Baer's Pochard, which is now at risk for extinction. The Baer's Pochard's population has decreased to between 150 and 700 birds in recent years due to negative environmental impacts on their habitat as well as human activities such as hunting and fishing. This loss of wetlands

1386-452: The same subfamily. While shortcomings certainly occur in Livezey's analysis, mtDNA is an unreliable source for phylogenetic information in many waterfowl (especially dabbling ducks) due to their ability to produce fertile hybrids , in rare cases possibly even beyond the level of genus (see for example the " Barbary duck "). Because the sample size of many molecular studies available to date

1428-563: The species previously thought to have been extinct. WWT and the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology hatched several clutches of eggs in captivity, and released the 21 birds onto Lake Sofia in 2018. Together with partners and funders, RSPB , Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, and  Viridor Credits , the trust reintroduced Common Cranes to the UK in 2010. The Great Crane Project successfully hand-reared and released 21 Eurasian cranes into

1470-428: The supporting evidence has often remained circumstantial. One example is the interaction between water birds and benthic feeding fish, or fish that feed at the lowest level of a body of water. Many migratory water birds use similar food resources on their breeding, molting, or overwintering grounds as do resident fish species. Studies, such as that done by Eadie and Keast in 1982, found an inverse relationship between

1512-411: The toes. Many of these adaptations are common between different types of waterbirds. For example, flamingos and ducks share a similar filter-feeding lifestyle, and the shoebill has a similar structure ( morphology ) to many wading birds. DNA sequence analysis, specifically the mitochondrial gene sequencing, has been used to classify and differentiate the various aquatic birds. This classification

1554-464: The water only. They construct simple nests from whatever material is close at hand, often lining them with a layer of down plucked from the mother's breast. In most species, only the female incubates the eggs. The young are precocial , and are able to feed themselves from birth. One aberrant species, the black-headed duck , is an obligate brood parasite , laying its eggs in the nests of gulls and coots . While this species never raises its own young,

1596-598: The waterbird Goldeneye and benthic feeding fish across multiple lakes. Mobile water birds tend to avoid areas where their food density is high because this increases competition for resources. When there is abundant food in an area, there are more birds trying to eat it. This can lead to aggression and fighting, as well as a decrease in the overall fitness of the bird. By avoiding areas of high food density, mobile waterfowl can reduce competition and improve their chances of survival. They can spread out and forage in less crowded areas, which allows them to avoid conflict and obtain

1638-481: The wild in England. The species had been absent in the UK for 400 years. As of 2022 there are over 200 cranes and hatchlings. WWT's aviculturists’ started hand-rearing critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper chicks, and reared 16 in northern Russia in 2013, which boosted the global number of fledglings by 25%. In 2014 the trust completed its Steart Marshes Project, creating 488 hectares of healthy wetlands which works to defend homes and businesses from flooding in

1680-731: The world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming , floating on the water surface, and, in some cases, diving in at least shallow water. The family contains around 174 species in 43 genera (the magpie goose is no longer considered to be part of the Anatidae and is now placed in its own family, Anseranatidae ). They are generally herbivorous and are monogamous breeders. A number of species undertake annual migrations . A few species have been domesticated for agriculture, and many others are hunted for food and recreation. Five species have become extinct since 1600, and many more are threatened with extinction . The ducks, geese, and swans are small- to large-sized birds with

1722-417: Was based at Slimbridge. It provided ecological surveys and assessments, and offered consultancy services in wetland habitat design, wetland management, biological waste-water treatment systems and the management of reserves and their visitor centres. The Queen in later years became patron to the trust, and Prince Charles became the president. The trust was instrumental in saving the nēnē (Hawaiian goose) from

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1764-628: Was sometimes considered an anserine. It is now recognized as a primitive cormorant . The middle Eocene Eonessa was formerly thought to belong to Anatidae, however reexamination of the holotype in 1978 resulted in the genus being placed as Aves incertae sedis . Water bird The term aquatic bird is sometimes also used in this context. A related term that has a narrower meaning is waterfowl . Some piscivore birds of prey , such as ospreys and sea eagles , hunt aquatic prey but do not stay in water for long and live predominantly over dry land, and are not considered water birds. The term waterbird

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