Scientific name:
Anatini

Natural spread:
global occurrences

from the 42 types, that are summarized in the type-group of swimming-ducks, belongs alone 37 types of the type actual swimming-ducks (Anas). To this, Z counts. B. the broadly known mallard, who is a frequent brood-bird in Central Europe. Frequently is the spoon-duck (Anas clypeata), the teal, in this area A. crecca, the Knäkente, A. querquedula, and the Schnatterente, A. strepera, to find. Other types, as the skewer-duck, A. acuta, or the Pfeifente, A. Penelope, immigrates only in the winter from north and Eastern Europe; a rare guest is the North American Pfeifente, A. americana.

Way of life The swimming-ducks live predominantly at the freshwater. Here, also a typical behavior is to be observed, that are all types particular: they "gründeln" of the water-surface from. Only the head and the neck dive on that occasion under water while the remaining body protrudes almost vertically from the water simultaneously. So, they can graze the water-plants easily at flat waters, lives also in other way, however, because mollusks, cancers and insects belong to the food-spectrum equally like grains.

Shape As we know it from the mallard, the drake is approximately more splendidly colored with half of the types. Otherwise, both sexes are rather inconspicuously or more rarely immediately colorfully from-colored, Z. B. Chile-Pfeifente, A. sibilatrix. The Schnatterente represents a transition-form; the gray patterned male has varied, black tail-blankets and is only little colorful with the black-and-white-bay Fleckung on the wings. The most heavily, the females are to be distinguished; the wing-mirror therefore is important for the regulation.

Spread The mallard is the trunk-form of the house-ducks beside the musk-duck. In 6 subtypes, it has a wide spread in the elderly and new world, from which particular breeding-forms were out-crossed. Most other types are given a home in more narrowly restricted areas. Dependent on the climatic conditions, the individual types can themselves as stand - or as migratory birds local hikes hold back or execute.

Brood In the brood-precincts even, the brood-behavior of the swimming-ducks only differs unimportantly (mallard). Sometimes, the nests become however not only in ground-proximity but also at walls and even in tree-eyries of gripping-birds aimed in the case of the Chile-teal, A. flavirostris, a special adaptation to the brushwood-nests of monk-parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) took place. The chicks are led shortly in general after the slipping of the female or both alto-birds to the water.

Locomotion With its quite long and pointed wings, most swimming-ducks extremely are fast planes so that also bigger distances are overcome soon. Much more badly, they can move at country. The legs position at the body very far behind, they must hold the balance with the "Gründeln." So, the typically "waddling" walk occurs.

Dimensionses The teal with 36 cm of length is among the smallest Eurasian representatives. The Hottentottenente, A. punctata, the smallest swimming-duck is at all. it weighs approximately 250 g while the big mallard-drakes can gain a weight of 1400 g after all.

Endangering The teal, A. crecca, and the Knäkente, A. querquedula, stands on the red list of the endangered types with us.