Hardy diving ducks, such as common goldeneyes and oldsquaws, cruise the open water of the Great Lakes and coasts during the winter. Most canvasbacks that fly through Minnesota from Canada go on to the Chesapeake Bay, the eastern Great Lakes, or the Gulf of Mexico. Filling The Bill Dabbling ducks strain food from a lake by drawing water from the surface and squirting it out. Comblike structures on the edge of the bill, called lamellae , trap small water animals and plants. This is called filter feeding .
Diving ducks use their lamellae to catch and hold freshwater shrimp and other invertebrates.
Mergansers belong to a special group called fish ducks . They have lamellae that are toothlike and enable them to catch and hold slippery fish. Neat Feet Webbed feet help ducks to swim. They even help them brake for a landing. Even the coldest water doesn t bother ducks.