Duck and Dive Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mallard

The mallard (scientific name Anas platyrhynchos) is one of the most familiar ducks seen on the river. The females are very plain in comparison to the males. The females are mainly brown whereas the males have a shiny green head with a white ring around their necks.

It is the female that makes the familiar "quack" noises while the male makes a rasping sound for their call. Most mallard ducks spend the majority of their days in the water.

Answer: Teal

The teal is smaller than the mallard and the male has very distinctive colouring whereas the female resembles a smaller, more delicate, female mallard. The collective name for teals is a "spring" which refers to their manner of taking off from the water in an almost vertical way and then corkscrewing this way and that in flight.

Answer: Shelduck

Shelducks are big, colourful ducks which are bigger than a mallard but slightly smaller than a goose. Both sexes have dark green heads and necks, a chestnut breastband and a red beak although the male is larger and brighter than the female and has a pronounced knob at the base of the bill.

Answer: Coot

Coots (scientific name Fulica atra) are Britain's largest species of rail. They are plump wading birds and the male and female are alike. They are often seen in flocks and accompanying larger species of birds, such as swans, where they pick up food disturbed or discarded by the larger birds. Coots can easily dive underwater up to a depth of about two metres.

The expression "bald as a coot" is derived from their distinctive white heads.

Answer: Moorhen

Moorhens (scientific name Gallinula chloropus) are slightly smaller than their close relative, the coot. They feed on both land and water and so have a varied diet of leaves, berries, seeds, worms, fish and snails. They are also known to eat other birds' eggs. They are sometimes referred to as marsh hens or water hens.

Answer: Mute Swan

Mute swans (scientific name Cygnus olor) can have a wingspan of up to 2.4 metres and are the second largest waterfowl after the trumpeter swan. Despite their name they produce a variety of noises including whistles, grunts and snorting noises. Male swans are called cobs, females are called pens and baby swans are called cygnets.

Answer: Great Crested Grebe

Great crested grebes are graceful waterbirds with an ornate plumage. They dive into the water to feed and are known for their elaborate courtship displays on the water. On land they look clumsy as their legs are placed so far back on their bodies. In the 19th century the great crested grebe almost became extinct in Britain as their feathers were much prized for decorating hats and clothes.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) stopped this barbaric practice and now they are a common sight on British waterways.

Answer: Canada Goose

The Canada goose (scientific name Branta canadensis) is an introduced species of goose from North America which has successfully spread across most of Britain. They were originally introduced into Britain in 1665 as ornamental birds. They form noisy flocks and are often considered as a nuisance in areas such as public parks.

Answer: Little grebe

The little grebe (scientific name Tachybaptus ruficollis) is the smallest member of the grebe family. They are very good divers and swimmers and dive to seek fish beneath the water. They do not move well on land and rarely come ashore except to breed. If disturbed, little grebes dive underwater and resurface some distance away.

They also submerge themselves so that only their head is showing above the water.

Answer: Kingfisher

The kingfisher is a stunning electric blue and orange coloured bird which is an expert fisherman. Even though they are so brightly coloured they are extremely shy and notoriously difficult to see except when they are in flight. Kingfishers need to eat their own body weight in food each day to survive.

Their diet is mainly fish but they supplement their intake with aquatic insects such as water beetles.