Ducks

Ducks are the concepts of creatures often characterized as creatures that belong in Anatidae. Ducks are one of the most common animals portrayed in Western media. They are most well known for their duck bills, however these beaks are often inaccurately portrayed and exaggerated, being far more broad and wide than most duck species, even the most common ones. They end up looking more like a short spoonbill beak instead of a real duck's. They are also known for their aquatic nature, floating on the surface of the water, and dipping their faces into the water with their rear ends sticking out. Their unusual webbed feet that they use to swim is also a favored body part of the animal. Most people understand webbed feet from ducks, and when they notice that humans and other animals have webbed feet (such as dogs) they attribute it from ducks. Their adorable, often yellow ducklings that follow their mother- or believing that something is their mom as it was present the moment it hatched, and then following it. 
It seems to me that a large number of "ducks" are given suffixes like shelducks, eiders, teals, whistle ducks, shovelers, etc. These imply that they are a kind of duck or not necessarily a duck at all. Maybe even a special type of duck. But deep down we know- quite obviously- they're clearly ducks.
Ducks have been portrayed since some of the earliest black-and-white cartoons. Donald Duck is the most famous character, being a major part of the Disney franchise, being one of Mickey Mouse's main friends. Ducks were commonly hunted back in the day and sometimes even raised on farms. Ducks became slightly less popular at some point in time, but remained a common theme on farm sets and were taught to kids to be a farm animal, though they often saw it as a pond animal that came into the barn to be around it, rather than an actual domesticated one. For this reason, while white ducks are known, it is the male mallard that is the highlight of American portrayals, as most people see "ducks" not only as broad billed aquatic birds of any color, but as a real wild animal that can occur in ponds in farms and sometimes in the city. Some places like botanical gardens intentionally attract ducks and sell duck kibble in 25 or 50 cent dispensaries for the sake of entertaining guests. Duck meat isn't common in America, but it can occaisonally be found in expensive or Asian restaurants.
Category:Ducks
Category:Animals important to American children