Wood Duck

Wood Duck, common name for a colorful duck found in southern Canada, the eastern and northwestern United States, and Mexico. It lives in diverse freshwater habitats including woodland ponds, swamps, marshes, lakes, slow moving rivers, and forested wetlands. The northernmost populations migrate south in the winter.

The wood duck has a short neck and a long square tail and ranges from 43 to 51 cm (17 to 24 in) in length. Its colors are among the most beautiful of North American birds. The male’s plumage includes a burgundy red chest and neck and an iridescent green back. He has red eyes and a dark head striped with unusual patterns of white. His downwardly angled beak has patterns of yellow, black, red, and white. The female has white eye patches and is not as colorful as the male, however, she is more colorful than females of other duck species. The juvenile plumage is similar to that of the female.

The diet of the wood duck varies by season but mostly consists of seeds from aquatic plants. In the fall and winter it feeds on plant materials, including wild rice, pond weeds, and acorns. In spring and summer it feeds on insects such as beetles, mayflies, and locusts, and also snails, tadpoles, crustaceans, small fish, and amphibians. It forages while swimming in shallow water or while walking on the ground.

The male shows off his colorful plumage during courtship. The wood duck is one of the only ducks that typically nests in a tree hole. It will also readily use human-made wooden shelters, called nest boxes. Male wood ducks do not participate in the nesting or in the rearing of the young. After mating, the male migrates to a separate area to molt into new feathers. During this time he becomes flightless and has to hide from predators. The female goes through her molt after rearing the young.

The female wood duck lines the nest hole using her own down feathers. She incubates, or warms, the 9 to 15 dull white eggs by sitting on them for 25 to 35 days until they hatch. The morning after hatching, the young ducklings climb out of the nest hole and leap to the ground. The female continues to care for them for five to six weeks. The young first fly about eight to nine weeks after hatching.

During the early 1900s, overhunting and destruction of nesting sites drove the wood duck almost to extinction. Beginning in 1918, protective laws were enacted that helped the population to recover. The widespread construction of nest boxes also helped in the recovery. The wood duck population is currently strong but vulnerable to loss of its remaining habitat.

Scientific classification: The wood duck is a member of the duck family, Anatidae, in the order Anseriformes, and is classified as Aix sponsa.

_____________