Underneath their waterproof outer feathers are small, softer feathers called "down." Down keeps the ducks warm in colder weather. Among the ducks with the softest down is the eider duck. Pillows stuffed with eider down are among the most expensive in the world. Roast duck is a popular meal in America, and is eaten about any time of the year. But perhaps you recall in the "Christmas Carol" when Ebeneezer Scrooge ordered a goose for the Cratchit family on Christmas day. A large roast goose used to be a favorite meal at Christmas time, but ham and turkey are more common today. What is a baby goose called? Gosling The goose has a shorter bill than a duck, but a slightly longer neck. It is quite common to see geese migrating either northward in the spring or southward in the fall in "V" formations. The lead goose absorbs the brunt of the wind, and then when it is tired another goose takes the lead.

Swans are water fowl also like ducks and geese, but have a much longer neck. They are so majestic and beautiful that they are rarely called on to provide a meal for a family. Swans are usually allowed to swim around slowly and gracefully in a pond without being disturbed.

What is a baby swan called? Cygnet - most people don't know this one! If you compare the swan babies above to the ducklings in the first picture, you can see how much prettier the ducklings are. And that is why the "Ugly Duckling" didn't feel good about the way it looked. But you can see how beautiful these "ugly ducklings" become when they grow into swans. Although the duck, the goose, and the swan have been allowed to remain wild, the wild turkey is now bred on large turkey farms. They are particularly popular on major holidays, but especially Thanksgiving. When the United States was trying to find a national bird to represent America shortly after the Revolutionary War, Bejamin Franklin suggested that the national bird be the turkey. But the turkey lost out to the Bald Eagle. North Carolina and Minnesota lead the states in producing turkeys, with California close behind.

What is a male turkey called?
Tom - and a female is a hen

Which are the ducks?
LeftRight

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