Are ducks like Mallards considered aquatic birds?

Aquatic birds are defined as those that live on or around water. So yes, all ducks would be considered aquatic. However, they are not waders (also known as shorebirds) that wade and overturn sand both below and above the water to feed. read more

The label "diver" is scientifically vague. Lots of birds dive for a living, including loons, grebes, and many seabirds. Among the ducks in North America , three distinct groups, or tribes, of species are considered "divers." The ruddy duck represents a mostly tropical tribe known as the stifftails. read more

Ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the family Anatidae; they do not represent a monophyletic group (the group of all descendants of a single common ancestral species) but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered ducks. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water. read more