Category: Birds
One of North America and Eurasia’s most iconic ducks, the stately mallard is common in ponds and lakes, as well as wetlands and estuaries. They have long been a favorite for the table and most domestic ducks are descended from the wild mallard. Due to their highly malleable gene code, mallards can display considerable phenotypic variation within their species.
Asleep at the wheel?
Can you imagine spending nearly all of your life in the air? The common swift doesn’t have to - it just does! From the day this bird learns to fly, it almost never touches the ground voluntarily - it eats, drinks, mates, and may even sleep while flying. While sleep walking can be problematic in humans, many birds have the ability to enter a state called unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, where one half of the brain sleeps as the other remains alert. This method of “sleeping with one eye open,” is a great way to avoid becoming another animal’s meal, and has led to the suspicion that these birds, who almost never willingly land, also sleep while in flight!
Learn more >>
Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
