Western Washington is full of wetlands and waterfowl. Birds that are strong swimmers, spend much of their time in wetland habitats and traditionally have been used by humans as a food source fall into the category of waterfowl. This group of birds includes ducks, geese and swans.

Some local waterfowl are resident birds, meaning they do not migrate. Others are migrants and they leave the area annually to nest. Migrant waterfowl are generally taught the flight path by their parents. So, if a parent does not migrate, then the young will not. At any given time of year in the Northwest, you might see resident waterfowl, migrants using this area as a rest stop, or birds that have migrated here to nest.

TYPES OF WATERFOWL

Waterfowl fall into one of two groups, based on how they feed.

Dabbling ducks, sometimes called puddle ducks, feed in shallow water and tip forward to feed off the bottom of the wetland on plants, seeds and invertebrates. If you ever see just the back end of a duck poking out of the water, you are looking at a dabbler. In our area, these kinds of ducks include the familiar mallard, as well as gadwall, American wigeon, northern shoveler and green-winged teal.

Diving ducks usually feed in deeper water and dive underwater to feed. They often eat fish or other aquatic life found in the water. If you see a duck appear in the water out of nowhere, it likely just popped up to the surface after completing a feeding dive. Diving ducks in this area include the canvasback, greater scaup, bufflehead, common goldeneye and the hooded merganser.

IT’S ALL IN THE LOOK

Most ducks are dimorphic; the male and female look different. The male is often more brightly colored so he can attract a mate. The female is more drab so she can be camouflaged while she is incubating the eggs in the nest. This color pattern usually indicates that the pair bond is only seasonal and that the male generally does not help incubate or raise the young.

Contrast that color pattern with birds that are monomorphic, where the male and female look alike. Generally in monomorphic birds, both sexes incubate and raise the young.

Several kinds of large, monomorphic waterfowl use the Puget Sound region. With their longer necks, white tundra swans are dabblers that can use deeper water and still reach the bottom to feed. The distinctive black-necked Canada geese actually spend most of their time feeding on land, which has caused some conflict with humans. Canada goose numbers have increased in urban areas because we have created more habitat for them. They prefer large open grassy areas for feeding. Ballfields, parks, golf courses and even front lawns can all attract geese.

MORE ABOUT CANADA GEESE

If you are not fond of sharing your grassy area with geese, there are many ways to try and discourage them from using the area. Keep in mind that methods usually include altering the habitat. Because if you build it, they will come. So decide if you like your lawn more or a goose-free zone more. For ideas, visit wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living. This section of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Web site has great animal information on many of the wildlife we share our space with in Western Washington.

In addition to grass, Canada goose food includes pondweed, sedge, cattail, horsetail, clover, alfalfa, corn and wheat.

Canada geese generally nest at the age of 3. Pairs bond for life, but if one partner is lost, the other will likely rebond, often the same season. Once the young hatch, they are fully feathered and able to fly in about 10 weeks. By then, they are the same size and look just like the adults. All adult geese undergo a complete molt for about 30 to 45 days, beginning in about mid-June. During this time, as the birds are growing all new feathers, they cannot fly and must choose a habitat that provides plenty of open water where they can escape predators.

Many local wetlands support waterfowl populations, including Canada geese. One of the best places to view local waterfowl is the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

If you want to learn more about local birds, including waterfowl, consider taking a class. Coming up soon at the Tacoma Nature Center is a series of classes called Nature Snapshots. Families with children ages 12 and older can learn about many different groups of wildlife by taking all or part of this series. The first session will be Jan. 13.

This month’s column was prepared by the staff at the Tacoma Nature Center.

Did you know?

 • The familiar V-shaped flight formation of geese allows each bird to receive lift from the wingtip vortex of the bird in front of it. A flock can fly much farther this way. Each will take a turn at the point, the hardest position to fly in.

 • Canada geese produce 1-3 pounds of droppings per day per bird.

 • Canada geese often nest in unoccupied nests of eagles, herons and ospreys.