Diving and Dabbling Ducks
In Diving and Dabbling Ducks, Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers are at a pond. They notice some ducks diving for food and others dipping their beaks into the water. Ranger Hamza explains how diving and dabbling ducks help keep the pond in balance. This video is excerpted from BBC's Ranger Hamza’s Eco Quest, a nature exploration show in which Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers go on quests to discover nature’s wonders and the important role they play in our environment.
Lesson Express
Q: What do the Ramblers notice about the birds?
A: Students may mention that other birds are diving, but not the ducks, that birds are flying, that some are dabbling.
Q: What is the difference between a dabbling and diving duck?
A: Diving ducks dive under the water for their food; dabbling ducks dip their beaks in the water for food.
Q: How do ducks help keep the water healthy?
A: They eat algae so there is not too much of it.
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In Ducklings’ Day Out, host Andy Day follows day-old ducklings who already have to take a leap, literally. As their mother duck encourages them, the ducklings fling themselves from the tree where they were born and waddle to the pond, where they will swim for the first time. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy’s Animal Babies, in which Andy Day explores the lives and experiences of baby animals.

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In The Deciduous Forests of Europe, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how the forests of Eastern Europe burst into life in spring. Newly hatched Mandarin ducks take a great leap from their tree-hole nest. Watch them soar one by one to the ground and land safely on the leaves piled below. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
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