A baby duck is called a duckling, and an adult male is a drake. An adult female duck is called a hen or a duck, and a group of ducks can be called a raft, team or paddling. Ducks are precocial, which means that ducklings are covered with down and able to walk and leave the nest just a few hours after hatching. A hen will lead her ducklings up to a half mile or more over land after hatching in order to find a suitable water source for swimming and feeding. Male ducks have an eclipse plumage similar to females that they wear after the breeding season for about a month as their new feathers grow. During that month, they are completely flightless and more vulnerable to predators. Source: Birding