What Are Ducks Feet Called and Why Are They Webbed?

What Are Ducks Feet Called?

Ducks have palmate feet, which are more commonly called webbed feet. They can come in a variety of colors and have lots of specialized functions. They are adapted for efficient swimming, are used to regulate body temperature, and can help attract mates.

Table Of Contents

What Are Ducks Feet Called?
Why Do Ducks Have Webbed Feet?
FAQ What Are Ducks Feet Called?
- Do Ducks Have Talons or Claws?

Palmate Feet

Palmate feet are the most common type of webbed feet. They are found in ducks, geese, gulls, swans, flamingoes, and other waterbird species.

Palmate feet are characterized by three toes that all point forward. They are connected by thin sections of skin called webbing. Their back toe is small and slightly higher up than the rest. It faces backward and is disconnected from the other three.

Totipalmate Feet

Pelicans, cormorants, gannets, boobies, and frigate birds all have totipalmate feet, they are characterized by all 4 toes being joined together by webbing.

Semipalmate Feet

Sandpipers, plovers, avocets, herons, and some domesticated hens have semipalmated feet. They are not too dissimilar from palmate feet. The three, forward-facing toes are connected by webbing. However, the webbing does not run along the entire length of the toes and it is smaller than that seen in totipalmate feet.

Lobate Feet

Coots, grebes, and finfoots have lobate feet. In this type of webbed foot, the three front toes are individually edged with lobes of skin, rather than being connected together by the webbing. When they are in the water, birds expand these lobes to swim more efficiently.

Palmate Feet
Palmate feet are the most common type of webbed feet. They are found in ducks, geese, gulls, swans, flamingoes, and other waterbird species.
Palmate feet are characterized by three toes that all point forward. They are connected by thin sections of skin called webbing. Their back toe is small and slightly higher up than the rest. It faces backward and is disconnected from the other three.
Totipalmate Feet
Pelicans, cormorants, gannets, boobies, and frigate birds all have totipalmate feet, they are characterized by all 4 toes being joined together by webbing.
Semipalmate Feet
Sandpipers, plovers, avocets, herons, and some domesticated hens have semipalmated feet. They are not too dissimilar from palmate feet. The three, forward-facing toes are connected by webbing. However, the webbing does not run along the entire length of the toes and it is smaller than that seen in totipalmate feet.
Lobate Feet
Coots, grebes, and finfoots have lobate feet. In this type of webbed foot, the three front toes are individually edged with lobes of skin, rather than being connected together by the webbing. When they are in the water, birds expand these lobes to swim more efficiently. — *Types of webbed feet*
^{Credit: Darekk2 by CC 3.0}

Why Do Ducks Have Webbed Feet?

Better Speed and Accuracy When Swimming

The webbed design of duck feet plays a very important role in helping them to swim with precision and speed. When ducks forage and feed under the water, they paddle their feet. This is to counteract their buoyancy and prevent them from floating back up to the surface.

Duck’s also used their webbed feet like rudders. They help the duck to steer so they can quickly and efficiently change direction in the water.

Unlike dabbling ducks, diving ducks have extra skin lobed on their back toes. This provided them with further webbing that enables them to swim underwater more efficiently.

As ducks swim through the water, they push their feet back and down. As they do so, they spread out their toes and webbing. This creates a larger surface area which they can use to push through the water and propel themselves forwards.

On the forward stroke, ducks bring their feet towards their body. During this motion, they fold their toes together to minimize water resistance. In effect, their webbed feet are used much like rowing oars.

Regulates Body Temperature

Ducks use their webbed feet to regulate their body temperature. They are able to stand on snow, ice, and other cold ground for long periods of time, without their feet or body getting cold.

Ducks have thick scales on their feet that minimize heat loss. Additionally, they will sit on their feet, using their body heat and feathers to warm up their feet.

Like many bird species, ducks use a counter-current heat exchange system to regulate their body temperature.

Warm blood from the core of the body travels down the arteries in the duck’s leg. As the blood flows down, it transfers heat to the blood that is returning to the heart from the foot. This means as the blood reaches to foot, it is cooler and so will lose less heat to the environment as it travels through the foot.

The cooler blood returning from the foot is warmed up by the blood heading towards the foot, meaning it will be a warm temperature before returning to the heart. As a result, the core body temperature of the bird will not drastically decrease.

Counter current exchange in birds — *Counter-current heat exchange system*
a. *Transfer of heat*
b. *Warm blood traveling toward the foot and transferring* heat to cooler blood
c. Cool blood travels toward the heart and receives heat from warmblood
^{Credit: Ekann by CC 4.0}

Take Off and Landing

Getting airborne can be challenging. To overcome this, ducks use their webbed feet to help provide the momentum needed to take off.

The wings of diving ducks are smaller than that of most birds, to enable them to efficiently swim and dive under the water. However, this means it can be more difficult for them to get airborne.

Using their webbed feet, ducks run across the surface of the water, providing them with enough speed to take off.

When landing, duck feet are also beneficial. Webbed feet behave like water skis and help to absorb the shock of a landing. They skid along the water and begin to slow down before their bodies hit the water.

FAQ What Are Ducks Feet Called?

What is the Difference Between Feet and Flippers?

Animals that are fully aquatic have flippers. They are more specialized than feet. Flippers themselves are modified limbs and appear broad and flat. Often, the fingers or toes cannot be distinguished.
Flippers are adapted for swimming, acting like oars in the water, helping the animal swim efficiently. However, they are not particularly useful for walking on land. This can be seen in seals, who slowly and clumsily flop around on the ice.
Feet, however, including webbed feet, play a more universal role. When in the water, webbed feet help animals swim more efficiently. As well as this, they are useful for walking on land. Toes can (usually) be easily distinguished from feet

Why Do Ducks Have Orange Feet?

Not all ducks have orange feet, but many species do. Not only can duck’s feet be bright orange, but also bright blue or red, to name a few. Mallards are one species of duck that are defined by their vibrant orange legs and feet.
When the breeding season starts, changes in a mallard’s hormones cause its feet and legs to become bright orange. This is a sexually selected trait that has evolved to help attract a mate. Bright orange feet indicate a strong and healthy immune system.
During courtship and pairing, a mallard’s feet may look almost red in color. This also suggests a duck is getting enough vitamins, especially beta-carotene, which is renowned for producing orange pigmentation. Once the breeding season is over, the feet return to their normal, pale orange color.

*A male and female mallard, standing on rocks exposing their bright orange feet*
^{Credit: Richard Bartz by CC 2.5}

Do Ducks Have Talons or Claws?

Ducks, like many birds, are digitigrade. This means they walk on their toes, instead of their whole foot. Ducks have 4 toes in total, with different arrangements of webbing.

Every toe of a duck’s foot ends with a small claw or talon. These are permanently out and cannot be retracted. Talons and claws can be used interchangeably.

Although they spend a lot of time in the water, ducks also spend a significant amount of time on land. Due to this, they have claws that benefit them in their terrestrial environment.

Ducks use their claws mainly for digging, perching, and gripping. They can also use them for self-defense; however, ducks seldom engage in combat and prefer to fly or swim away.