Alabama Duck Hunting Guides and Outfitters

The Duck: This name is applied to numerous waterfowl species, mostly of the family Anatidae. Ducks are distinguished from geese and swans by shorter necks and legs and by smaller and flatter, more streamlined bodies. Able to migrate great distances, ducks inhabit all the continents but Antarctica and all but a few of the world’s islands.

The legs of ducks are placed far apart and toward the rear, making them awkward waddlers but efficient and powerful swimmers. The under-plumage, or down, which is buoyant and insulating, is kept water-resistant by frequent preening with oil from a gland, called the uropygial gland, at the base of the tail feathers. Ducks have spatulate bills lined with bony notches, or lamellae, for straining plant and animal matter from water.

Mating: Male ducks, called drakes, often have iridescent wing spatula and other colorful markings that they display to the drab-colored females. Pairing is seasonal and is contested for many months by other males until the bond is firmly established. Four to twelve eggs are laid in crude, usually shoreline nests made mostly of duck down. After 21 to 35 days the ducklings hatch; upon drying they are called from the nest by the female’s low, piping cry. {The hatchlings of the Carolina wood duck, Aix sponsa, incubate in tree holes and leap down from their dark hollows at the female’s calling.} Through parental guidance ducklings are quickly able to swim, care for themselves, and catch insects. By fall they are able to migrate.

Migration: Climatic changes and favorable tail winds set off mass migrations of ducks, which usually fly at altitudes of 2800 to 5000 feet and follow river and coastal flyways. Migrating flocks travel from 35 to 50 mph and can cover 1500 miles in a few days.

Kinds of Ducks: About 115 species of ducks are known, most of which belong to the tribes of the subfamily Anatinae. Perching ducks make up the tribe Cairinini, or ducks that perch on tree limbs; an example is the handsome Carolina wood duck. Mergansers, of the tribe Mergini, are strong-legged, fish-eating sea ducks that dive underwater to pursue prey. Pochards, of the tribe Aythyini, which are mostly freshwater diving ducks, including the canvasback, Aythya vallisneria. The best known duck for dabbling, or surface feeding, ducks of the tribe Anatini, which include the mallard. Dabbling ducks glean plants and small aquatic animals from the surface or from shallow bottoms and feed no deeper than they can reach in a tail-up position.

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This Alabama waterfowl game bird is very popular and you will find a number of lakes, ponds, rivers, and other waterways that are great for duck hunting. The guide or outfitter that you hire will have other services that may be of interest to you as you plan out your duck hunting trip.