What Is a Duck?
A duck is a bird. It has feathers, breathes air and lays eggs.
Ducks need food, clean water, dry shelter and room to move.
Duck
A duck is a bird that likes water. It has feathers, a broad bill, two wings and webbed feet. A duck can walk, swim and quack.
Fun Facts About Ducks
- A baby duck is called a duckling.
- Webbed feet help a duck swim.
- Feathers help keep a duck warm and dry.
- Many ducks make a quacking sound.
Home, Food, and Movement
- Home: a dry shelter near safe water
- Food: duck food, plants and small insects
- Movement: walks, paddles and swims
- Sound: quacks
Easy Practice Sentences
Easy: I see a duck.
Medium: The duck paddles across the pond.
Challenge: The duck swims across the blue pond.
Say each sentence aloud and point to the picture.
Activity Idea
Make a swimming duck picture.
- Draw a duck with a round body.
- Add a bill, two wings and two webbed feet.
- Draw blue water and green reeds.
- Tell a grown-up what sound it makes.
This activity helps children draw, speak and learn about ducks.
Duck Body Parts
- Bill: helps the duck pick up food
- Feathers: keep the duck warm and dry
- Wings: help the duck flap
- Webbed feet: toes joined by skin that helps the duck paddle
- Eyes: help the duck see
Look and Think
- What colour is the duck?
- Can you point to its bill?
- Can you count two wings?
- Can you find its webbed feet?
Learning Safely Around Ducks
- Stay with a grown-up.
- Never chase a duck or go near its nest.
- Ask before touching or feeding a duck.
- Only give food that the keeper says is safe.
- Wash your hands after visiting.
Compare and Think
- Duck and duckling: a duck is grown up. A duckling is a baby.
- Duck and chicken: both have feathers. A duck has webbed feet.
- Duck and goose: both can swim. A goose is usually bigger.
Duck Words to Learn
- Duckling: a baby duck
- Drake: a grown-up male duck
- Hen: a grown-up female duck
- Quack: a sound a duck makes
- Webbed: having toes joined by a layer of skin
- Bill: a duck’s beak
- Paddle: to move through water
Check understanding
Quick Questions
Say each answer aloud. Then check it with a grown-up.
Q1
What is a baby duck called?
Answer
A baby duck is called a duckling.
Q2
How do webbed feet help a duck?
Answer
They help the duck swim.
Q3
What sound does a duck make?
Answer
A duck quacks.
Q4
What covers a duck’s body?
Answer
Feathers cover its body.