Waterfowl are birds that spend much of their lives on or near water, especially ducks, geese, and swans. These birds have evolved special features that help them thrive in watery environments: webbed feet for swimming, waterproof feathers that shed water like a raincoat, and often flat bills perfect for scooping up food from ponds, lakes, and marshes.

Watch a duck glide across a pond and you're seeing waterfowl in action. Its feet paddle beneath the surface while oil from a special gland keeps its feathers dry. Many waterfowl are powerful fliers too, with some geese migrating thousands of miles between their summer and winter homes.

People have hunted waterfowl for food for thousands of years, which is why many countries now have laws that limit hunting and protect these birds during breeding season.