Perching ducks are more arboreal than dabbling ducks, spending time above the water perched on trees and branches. Their feet are stronger than the dabblers and are equipped with large claws for grasping onto wood and bark. Perching ducks often nest high above the ground in hollow limbs and tree holes. LRWC maintains the following species of perching ducks:

The teal group is very similar to the dabbling ducks, with some species teetering somewhere in between. The major difference between the two groups is size; the average teal is about half the size of the average dabbling duck, such as the mallard. LRWC maintains the following teal species:

Unlike the shallow-water feeding style of the dabbling ducks, the diving ducks find food on a pond or lake bottom, food which they secure by diving. Because they dive beneath the water, these ducks have rather large feet and legs which are placed farther back on the body, giving them excellent underwater swimming skills but making terrestrial movement extremely awkward. Most diving ducks have rather short wings; they need to make a running start across the water's surface to become airborne and cannot leap into the air directly off the water like their dabbling cousins. The diving duck group can be subdivided into four main groups, including the typical divers, sea ducks, mergansers, and stiff-tails. LRWC maintains the following typical divers:

The sea ducks, as their name implies, are found on salt water. They are very hardy and heavy-bodied birds adapted for life on the ocean. They feed on marine invertebrates and mollusks. Sea ducks are difficult to maintain in captivity due to their habitat requirements. LRWC has only one species of sea duck:

Mergansers are the fish-hunting professionals of the waterfowl world. With long, thin bills equipped with tooth-like serrations; they seek out live fish which they chase down under the water. LRWC maintains the following species:

The stiff-tail group is a very interesting group of ducks; as the name suggests, these birds have very long and stiff tail feathers. They are superb swimmers and divers, but have major difficulties moving about on land because their legs are set so far back on their bodies. Walking is so laborious that many push themselves along on their bellies on the rare occasions they come to shore. LRWC keeps the following stiff-tails: