Prairie potholes are "duck factories"; the diversity of pothole types provides varied feeding grounds for the two major groups of ducks.

• Dabblers such as Northern Shoveler and Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos?) are surface feeders, sometimes "tipping up" to forage on the shallow bottom.
  • Mallard female:
  • Mallard male:

• Divers such as Common Merganser, Eared Grebe, and Double-crested Cormorant can dive under water and swim after prey in deeper water.