Webbed feet are meant for those birds that like to swim on the water’s surface or even underwater. The adaptation is only evolved in several bird species and helps them to propel or even other creatures through the water. Here is the list of 16 types of webbed feet birds,
Webbed Feet Birds
1. Ducks
Ducks are species of waterfowl bird that belongs to the Anatidae family. The bird species is much smaller than the swans and geese which vary in size, color, and location. The dietary habits are omnivores in nature and they feed on both plants and other animals. One of the farm animals primarily feeds on n plants, fruits, and vegetables. They also feed on animals such as shellfish, amphibians, insects, and invertebrates. The average life span of a domestic duck is 10 years or less in the wild.
Also Read: Top 10 Black and White Ducks In The World
2. Goose
The goose is a type of waterfowl bird and is believed to have descendants of two basic types of geese domesticated 4.000 years ago. The body ranges between 32 to 37 inches in length and avarice wieght is between 8 to 22 pounds. The bird species cannot fly but is used to lift its body a few feet above the ground when startled.
It is active during the day and spends most of the time in the water swimming. The dietary habits are omnivores in nature and feed on worms, corn, wheat, sunflower seed, weed, leaves, and grass. The avarage lifespan of a goose is between 20 to 25 years in the wild. The greater white-fronted goose is also listed as one of the birds of new england.
3. Swans
Swans are the largest members of the Goose family. The male swan is known as a cob and the female swan is called a pen. Swans are the biggest of all duck species and know for their majestic and marvelous shape and color. As of now, 7 species of swans are known to humans such as the Black-necked Swan, Black Swan, Mute Swan, Trumpeter Swan, Tundra swan which includes the Bewick’s Swan and Whistling Swan, and the Whooper Swan. The closest relatives are geese and ducks. The avarage lifespan of swans is between 20 to 30 years. It is also listed as one of the most popular land and water animals in the world.
4. Seagull
Seagull is a type of seabird and as of now, 20 species of seagulls are known all over the planet even in the Arctic and Antarctica. The body ranges upto 11.5 inches in length and the avarage weight is 4.2 ounces. The largest known seagull has a size 30 inches in length and average weight is 3.8 pounds. They have a strong body and webbed feet where the beak is slightly hooked and usually yellow in color. The main predators of seagulls are large birds of prey, such as eagles. The avarage lifespan of seagulls depends on the species and can survive from 10 to 15 years in the wild.
5. Avocets
Avocet is a type of wading bird and as of now, 4 species of avocet are found in Europe, Asia, Australia, and on the Pacific coast of North America. The medium size bird species can grow between 16 to 18 inches in length and the average weight is between 11 to 15 ounces. The most distinctive feature of the avocet is its long, upward-curled beak and body covered with black and white feathers. The dietary habits are carnivores in nature and consume mostly insects, worms, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and amphibians. The avarage lifespan of avocets is up to 5 years in the wild.
Also Read: 10 Birds That Starts With The Letter A
Image Source: Hiyashi Haka
6. Flamingos
Flamingos are one of animals that live in lakes and can be identified easily because of their red-purple-colored feather. The adult bird’s body ranges between 3.3 to 4.6 feet tall and the average wieght is between 3.3 to 9 pounds. These beautiful pink birds are found in large groups known as colonies and some colonies consist of millions of birds. They are one of the graceful animals and they produce one egg each year. The avarage lifespan of Flamingos is between 20 to 30 years. It is also listed as one of the amazing animals that starts with the letter F.
Also Read: 10 Long Neck Animals In The World
7. Loons
Loons are webbed feet birds that belong to the family Gaviidae. These black and white birds are mostly seen in the regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. The body length ranges between 2 to 3 feet and the average weight is 6.5 to 12 pounds. Males are slightly larger than females. They spend most of their time in water and can dive 200 to 250 feet in depth and stay up to 5 minutes under the water. The dietary habits are carnivorous in nature and primarily consist of fish (such as gulf menhaden, perch, and trout), crabs, lobsters, shrimps, mollusks, and insects. The avarage lifespan is upto 30 years in the wild. Yellow-billed loon is one of the beautiful black birds with yellow beaks.
8. Penguins
Penguins are flightless birds and instead of regular wings, they have flippers. Apart from Antarctica, they are found in South America, South Africa, New Zealand, and many Pacific islands. One of the water-diving birds is an excellent swimmer and can swim 15-20 miles per hour. The natural predators of penguins are orcas, seals, sharks, and snakes. The dietary habits are carnivores in nature and feed on shrimps, krill, squids, and fish. These animals with no necks live in large communities composed of thousand to ten thousand couples. The avarage lifespan of penguins is between 15 to 20 years in the world depending on the species.
Also Read: 31 Cutest Animals In The World
9. Common Terns
The Common Tern is a seabird that belongs to the family Laridae. The body length of bird species ranges between 31 to 35 cm in length and the average weight is between 110 to 141 grams. The avarage top speed of the bird species is upto 54 km/h will a wingspan between 77 to 98cm. The avarage lifespan of common terns is between 9 to 29 years. The dietary habits are carnivores in nature and feed on fish but also consume shrimps and other crustaceans, small squid, marine worms, and leeches. Forster’s Tern is also listed as one of the most popular white birds in Florida.
10. Pelicans
Pelicans are one of the amazing webbed feet birds found on all continents except Antarctica. As of now, 8 species of pelicans are known to usually thrive in near warm regions, rivers, estuaries, and lakes. They are one of the largest birds that can reach between 4 to 6 inches in length and their average weight is between 10 to 30 pounds. Pelicans feed on fish and other than that they also eat turtles, crustaceans, and tadpoles. They are social birds and live in large colonies composed of several hundreds of birds. The avarage lifespan is between 10 and 30 years in the wild.
11. Cormorants
Cormorants are one of the birds that can dive deeply underwater to hunt for fish. As of now, 40 different species of cormorants are known to humans that are found in every country of the world. These bird species can hold thier breath for several minutes and dive 150 feet underwater to catch fish. The communication takes place with the help of honking or grunting and even some species are capable of using tools, such as rocks, to help them catch their prey.
12. Grebes
Grebes are one of the webbed feet birds that are widely distributed freshwater birds that belong to the order Podicipediformes. These birds vary from small to medium-large in size ranging from the least grebe to the great grebe. Talking about the appearance, they have an unusual plumage and over 20,000 feathers, the highest among birds. These feathers are more dense and strongly curved. As of now, 22 species of grebes are known to humans that are placed in five genera such as Aechmophorus (the western grebe), Podiceps (most species), Podilymbus (the pied-billed grebes), Rollandia (Rolland’s and short-winged grebes), and Tachybaptus (dabchicks).
13. Finfoots
Finfoots are medium-sized aquatic birds found in the tropical regions of Central and South America; Western, Central, and Southern Africa; and Asia. Almost all bird species of this group are brightly colored, lobed toes for which this group has been named. These webbed-foot birds are similar to rails along with long necks, small heads, slender bodies, broad tails, and long, tapered, sharp, pointed bills. The breeding season of finfoots begins after the rainy season ends, depending on the climate in each one’s habitat.
Image Source: Allan
14. Herons
The herons family has 64 birds and the scientific name is Ardeidae which is derived from the Latin word for the heron: ardea. They are solidarity predator mostly seen in large colonies consisting of more than a hundred birds for the breeding season. The bird species use many different calls to express a sense of surprise or alarm and even identify other bird species in the colony. The average lifespan of herons varies between 15 to 20 years in the wild.
Also Read: 21 Long Legged Birds In the World
15. Sulidae
The bird family consists of gannets and boobies and together they are known as sulids. They consist of medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. They prefer to thrive in tropical and subtropical waters, but they, particularly gannets, are found in temperate regions, too. All bird species feed preferred entirely at sea, mostly on mid-sized fish and similarly sized marine invertebrates.
16. Coots
Coots are one of the webbed feet birds that belong to the Rallidae, family. These bird species are generally related to the rails, moorhens, crakes, gallinules, and more. Talking about their appearance, they have short beaks, fleshy frontal shields on their foreheads, and stout bodies. The plumage is black along with limited species have a slight iridescent sheen. The dietary habit is omnivores and feeds on both plants and small animals. All these 10 different species of these birds look relatively similar to one another.
These are some of the amazing webbed feet birds in the world. Kindly share and post your comments.