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The Wood Duck Society
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Thank you for visiting the Wood Duck Society. We are a non profit, public service organization. We are all volunteers. All our revenues go to improving the site. No one has ever taken a salary. Please scroll down to learn more.
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The Wood Duck in Brief
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Plumage The wood duck is regarded as the most beautiful North American duck. The male's breeding plumage of maroon, white, blue, green, red, brown and black is truly captivating. The hen has grayish-brown feathers, a white chin and throat, and white eye rings. The wood duck is the only native duck with a smoothed down crest.
ClassificationThe wood duck is a member of the duck and goose family, Anatidae. Its scientific name is Aix sponsa.
Body Characteristics Wood ducks are medium-sized ducks, usually weighing about 1.5 pounds. Body length is 17-20 inches. Wings are broad and short, with a span of 30 inches; such wings aid flight through woods and other tight cover. The flight speed of wood ducks is 39-55 miles per hour.
Range and HabitatWood ducks live in hardwood swamps, beaver ponds, meandering streams, and rivers and artificial ponds surrounded by mature timber. During the breeding season, they are distributed across the eastern United States and southern Ontario to Florida and west to Minnesota and Texas. Breeding populations are found on the west coast in California, Oregon, and Washington. Eastern wood ducks winter in the southeast, and western ducks winter in California.
ReproductionThe drakes and hens form pairbonds by late winter. The hen nests in a cavity in a tree or nesting box. The average clutch size is 9-12 dull white eggs. Eggs are laid one per day until clutch is completed. The incubation period is 28-37 days. Pairbonds last until just before the eggs hatch. Ducklings remain in the nest for 24 hours before their mother calls them out, whereupon they jump to the ground or water surface. The hen stays with her brood until the young can fly at 8-10 weeks of age. Some first-year nesting females will lay their eggs in the nests of other females. Called 'dump resting,' this behavior is more common when suitable nesting sites are in short supply.
Preferred FoodsAdults favor acorns, beech nuts, berries, bald cypress cones, duckweed, sedges, wild grapes, and wild rice. Ducklings depend upon small invertebrates for the first 2 weeks. These invertebrates, including mayfly and dragon fly nymphs, are abundant in masses of aquatic plants.
SurvivalUp to 90% of the ducklings will die in the first 2 weeks. For ducklings from 2 to 6 weeks old, the mortality rate is about 50%. After gaining flight and up to 1 year, the mortality rate is about 75%.
Predators and CompetitorsStarlings, common goldeneyes, hooded mergansers, American kestrels, squirrels, screech owls, and wasps will compete for the nest cavities and boxes. Nesting hens, eggs, and ducklings are preyed upon by raccoons, fox squirrels, gray squirrels, mink, opossums, rat snakes, snapping turtles, fish, and predatory birds.
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