Family ANATIDiE. 



Subfamily ANATINiE or SHELDRAKES and 

 NON-DIVING DUCKS. 



The birds included in the present subfamily are distinguished 

 from their allies by having the tarsus scutellated in front, and 

 only a narrow membrane attached to the hind toe. None of the 

 species contained in this group ever dive for their food, which 

 they search for on land or in shallow water, only submerging the 

 fore half of the body whilst probing and sifting the mud and 

 weeds for prey. In the Sheldrakes the sexes are nearly alike in 

 colour, but in the Ducks there is usually considerable sexual 

 difference in this respect. The Sheldrakes moult once in autumn, 

 but the Non-diving Ducks have one complete moult in autumn, 

 and the males of many species moult their small feathers twice — 

 once in early summer, and once in autumn. 



This subfamily is composed of about seventy species, divisible 

 into several fairly well-defined genera. Practically cosmopolitan, 

 but most widely dispersed during the northern winter. 



