A duck pond is a
pond for
ducks and other
waterfowl. Duck ponds provide
habitats for water fowl and other birds, who use the water to bathe in and drink.
Typically, such ponds are round, oval or
kidney-shaped. An example is the lily pond in the
University Parks at
Oxford in England, constructed in 1925. Often, as in
public parks, such ponds are artificial and ornamental in design. Sometimes they may be less ornamental, as for example in a farmyard or flooded
quarry. A small domestic version of the duck pond is at Knowle Farm in
Derbyshire.
Some duck ponds are purposely built for the sport of
duck hunting. These flight ponds are constructed by hunters and wildfowlers to attract ducks, such as
mallard
The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...
,
teals
Teal is a blue-green color.
Teal or TEAL may also refer to:
Ducks
* some members of the subfamily Anatinae (dabbling ducks):
** some members of the genus ''Anas'':
*** Cape teal (''Anas capensis'')
*** Red-billed teal or red-billed duck (''Anas ...
,
bufflehead
The bufflehead (''Bucephala albeola'') is a small sea duck of the genus ''Bucephala'', the goldeneyes. This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' as ''Anas albeola''.
The genus na ...
and
wigeon, at dawn and at dusk. The ponds have shallow edges to allow ducks to reach food on the bottom. Barley is often used to attract or hold the birds.
Duck houses
A duck house, duck canopy, or duck island, is an often floating structure that onto or into which ducks can climb, offering protection from predators such as foxes. Some are simple wooden shelters on land, while others are on islands in duck ponds or lakes; they can be quite ornate and/or large structures. A rather famous example can be found at
Woodway House in
Devon, England. A small domestic version of a duck house is at Knowle Farm in Derbyshire. Such houses are also used for the birds to nest in a safe and convenient area. Dummy eggs, originally ceramic and now plastic, are used to encourage birds to lay in the duck house.
Installation and maintenance
They must be cleaned out about every month to prevent an unwanted and rather smelly buildup of
fecal matter (guano) that is gradually left behind by the birds using it. They may also be prone to flooding during a storm, if they are not raised adequately off the ground.
Media reference
Duck islands came to public prominence in the United Kingdom in May 2009, when a
Member of Parliament claimed expenses to have one installed on his property.
Sir Peter Viggers chose to stand down as an
MP after he was shown to have attempted to pay for his duck island at the
UK Parliament's expense.
File:Duck pond with gazebo.jpg, Duck pond with gazebo at apartment in Covington, Georgia
File:Duck near pond.jpg, Duck pond in a public park, Aci Sant'Antonio, Sicily
File:Compton martin duck pond.JPG, Compton Martin duck pond
File:Gainesville Northeast Hist Dist01.jpg, A duck pond in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...
File:4 Modliszewice 10.jpg, Duck house in Modliszewice, Poland
File:Woodway21-DuckHouse.jpg, The old cob-built Duck House at Woodway House in Teignmouth, Devon
File:Skogaholm Manor.JPG, Sir Peter Viggers' duck house was a replica of the Swedish Skogaholm Manor
File:Duck farming vembanad lake 03.jpg, A Duck pond in Alappuzha, Kerala
Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in States and territories of India, state of Kerala, India. The Kerala Backwaters, Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indi ...
File:Duckingham Palace.jpg, "Duckingham Palace" duck house on Widmore Pond, Sonning Common, UK.
See also
*
Ponds
*
Duck-baiting
*
Duck
*
The Big Duck building
*
Poultry
*
Water fountains
*
Woodway House
*
Hen house
Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises poultry, domesticated birds such as chickens, Domestic duck, ducks, turkey (domesticated), turkeys and domesticated goose, geese to produce chicken meat, meat or Egg as food, eggs for f ...
*
Dog house
*
Pilling's Pond
*
Long Duck Pond
References
External links
Friends of the Duck Pond — OUPDThe University Parks, Oxford — Introduction
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duck Pond
Ducks in popular culture
Ducks
Garden features
Ponds