Wood Ducks live in wooded swamps, ponds, and forest streams. Males have a green crest, a chestnut breast, and bold white lines on the face. Wood Ducks nest in tree holes, and their ducklings leap to the ground about a day after hatching.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Males have a glossy green crest, red eyes, and a chestnut breast. Females are brown with a large white teardrop around each eye.
Look-alikes
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
A Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) has a rounder head. A female Wood Duck has a large white patch around the eye that a female Mallard lacks.
Why they get mixed upBrown females may share the same ponds.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- wooded swamps
- forest streams
- ponds
- Range
- They occur across much of the eastern United States and in parts of the West. Northern birds move south in winter, while some southern birds stay year-round.
- Preferred conditions
- Look along water with trees and plenty of cover at its edges.
- When it’s recorded
Recorded year-round, every year · most records in Apr
52,368 observations in the US · 10 years · for reference
Behavior
- Diet
- In the United States they eat seeds, fruit, insects, and other small animals without backbones; acorns can be important away from the water.
- Activity
- They feed at the surface or make short, shallow dives, and they often perch on branches.
Life cycle
- Nest
- The female uses a natural tree cavity or a nest box near water. Chicks jump from the cavity about a day after hatching.
- Clutch size
- 6–16 eggs
- Incubation
- 28–37 days
Name and classification
- About the name
- Carolina duck is another name for this species, though Wood Duck is the usual U.S. name.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
- Status
- U.S. numbers recovered after earlier hunting pressure; retaining nest trees and suitable nest boxes supports breeding birds.