Order ANSERIFORMES

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Order ANSERIFORMES

Ducks, Geese, Magpie Goose, Screamers (non Australian, South American endemic), Swans

Compiler and date details

Updated May 2011 - N.W. Longmore, Museum Victoria

R. Schodde CSIRO Australian National Wildlife Collection, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Introduction

The Anseriformes is a large order of three families of duck or duck-like birds (Sibley & Ahlquist 1990; Livezey 1997; Livezey & Zusi 2007) containing some 150 gregarious species. Two of the families have Australian representatives: the Anseranatidae (one species) and the Anatidae (29 species). Anseranatidae were split from typical Anatidae by several recent publications (Woolfenden 1961; Olson & Feduccia 1980). All are highly adapted for an aquatic lifestyle. The monotypic anseranatid, Anseranas semipalmata, has partially webbed toes and an elongate, coiled syrinx, allowing it to produce deep, far-carrying calls. All others in the family Anatidae are web-footed and their calls are slightly softer than Anseranas. All are excellent swimmers and are generally found about wetlands, occasionally extending to the sea in near-shore situations.

The order is well established, having originated during the Cretaceous period (Clarke et al. 2005). All have a bill originally designed for sifting and grinding and each may feed in water either by diving, skimming and sifting the surface, or in the case of the swans, using elongate necks to reach submerged water plants. Some are adapted to grazing on short grasses, for example Chenonetta and Cecropsis.

Diagnosis

All ducks, geese and swans possess to some degree webbed toes; their legs are inclined towards the rear of the body giving them extra swimming thrust. Their beaks are conical and broad that have finely serrated lamellae. The body feathering is both thick and compact ensuring waterproofing for this aquatic group; most of the genus Anas possesses a wing speculum. The bullae in males is well developed in many species and often ossified to assist in resonating sounds during courtship. Males possess an elongated pseudopenis or copulatory organ.