Falcated Duck at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands centre, Gloucestershire, England
Wildfowl or waterfowl, also waterbirds, is the collective term for the approximately 147 species of swans, geese and ducks, classified in the order Anseriformes, family Anatidae. Wildfowl usually live on wetlands. Many species are hunted, and some are kept for ornamental purposes.
Wildfowl, on the other hand, moult all of their wing feathers simultaneously with the result that they become flightless for several weeks.
Those wildfowl which feed on land have strong, centrally placed legs well suited to walking whereas the diving duck are efficient swimmers by virtue of shorter legs situated farther towards the rear of their bodies.
When a wildfowler steps out on to the remote saltings he enters the world of the wildfowl and, if he is to be successful in his hunting, he must understand and appreciate the ways of his quarry.
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is a wildfowl and wetland conservation charity in the United Kingdom and the largest international wetland conservation charity.
It was founded in 1946 by the ornithologist and artist Sir Peter Scott, initially as the Severn Wildfowl Trust.
It has over 100,000 members and nine reserves with visitor centres, together covering over 20 km² which support over 150,000 birds and receive over one million visitors per year.
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