I need to see the statement to answer your question.
The herbivorous duck would be the primary consumer. In a food web, these are the creatures that directly eat plants and vegetation. Secondary and tertiary consumers, which would be the osprey and bald eagle in this case, are the creatures that directly eat the primary consumers.
Quindlen links the conclusion to the introduction of her essay with the words "like many improbable ideas, when it works, it's a wonder", which is very close to her claim in the overall text, "America is an Improbable idea", it isn't supposed to work but it does despite all of the differences, specifically racial or ethnic, within it.
