Newsletter / Blog
2012-07-15 Wood Ducks with 7 recently-fledged ducklings – Kingwood – USA.
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck
or Carolina Duck - Aix sponsa - is a species of duck found in North America and is one of the most colourful of North American
waterfowl. Wood Ducks have a unique shape among ducks, a boxy, crested head, a
thin neck, and a long, broad tail. Their breeding habitat is wooded swamps,
shallow lakes, marshes or ponds and creeks in eastern North
America.
Description
The adult male
has distinctive multi-coloured iridescent plumage and red eyes, with a
distinctive white flare down the neck. The female, less colourful, has a white
eye-ring and a whitish throat. Both adults have crested heads. Unlike most
other ducks, the Wood Duck has sharp claws for perching in trees
Call
The male's call
is a rising whistle, "jeeeeee"; the females utter a drawn-out, rising
squeal, "oo-eek," when flushed, and a sharp "cr-r-ek,
cr-e-ek" for an alarm call.
Food
These ducks are omnivores.
They feed by dabbling or walking on land and eat seeds, fruits, insects and
other arthropods. When aquatic foods are unavailable they may take to dry land
to eat acorns and other nuts from forests and grain from fields.
Breeding
They usually nest
in cavities in trees close to water, although they will take advantage of nesting
boxes in wetland locations if available. Females line their nests with feathers
and other soft materials, with individual females laying between 6 to 16 glossy
creamy white to tan eggs per clutch. The incubation period is between 28 to 37
days and the nestling period between 56 to 70 days.
Conservation Status – Least concern
The population of
the Wood Duck was in serious decline in the late 19th century as a result of
severe habitat loss and market hunting both for meat and plumage for the
ladies' hat market in Europe. The population
of the Wood Duck has increased a great deal in the last several years. The
increase has been due to the work of many people constructing Wood Duck boxes
and conserving vital habitat for the Wood Ducks to breed.
Birdwatching
Look for Wood
Ducks in wooded swamps, marshes, streams, beaver ponds, and small lakes. They
stick to wet areas with trees or extensive cattails or ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create a tour for you.
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