Anatidae
Pronounced ah-NAT-ih-dee
"Anatidae" comes from the Latin word anas, meaning duck. This family includes ducks, geese and swans. These birds are characterized by short legs, webbed feet, and lots of down and oily feathers which allow them to stay dry. They also have broad, flattened bills with "teeth" that can act as filters, keeping in food while expelling excess water (Welty and Baptista 1988). Members of this family are found worldwide, except in the polar regions, and are always found in or near water (Terres 1980). The three species listed below are year-round residents of Southern Oregon (Sturges et al 1990).
The word "duck" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word duce, the verb form of ducan, which means "to dive," a reference to ducks diving underwater for food and/or refuge. The word "duck" has also taken on several different slang meanings. If things are "just ducky" they are "really great," but during World War II it meant they were all wrong. If you are a "lame duck" you are a politician whose term is about to expire and will not be in the position long (they are just lazily waddling through their last days). If something is "duck soup" it is very easy. "Ducking" means you are hunching down to hide or dodge something (Limburg 1975).