Wood Duck
Aix sponsa

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Aix

Audio for Species

Call
Call

from Macaulay Library

Species Related Links

Additional Wood Duck Pictures

Description

Length: 18.5-21.3 in (47-54 cm) Weight: 16-30.4 oz (454-862 g) Wingspan: 26-28.7 in (66-73 cm)

They are a stunningly beautiful, medium-sized duck with a long crest on head. They are also long-winged and long-tailed.

The male has spectacular white stripes about face and crest with a large white throat patch and dramatic extensions onto cheek and neck. A burgandy or chestnut breast and neck with a vertical white stripe at lower margin. He has golden flanks bordered above by a white flank stripe, and a white belly. The wings and back are iridescent dark green-blue, with an iridescent green and purple head. The bill and eyes are red. The basic plumage resembles the female, but they retain the neck patch and red bill.
The female has a gray-brown head and neck, white throat, and a gray-brown breast stippled with white that fades to a white belly. There is a white teardrop patch around the eye, and the bill is gray. The back is dark brown.

Habitat, Range, and Feeding

The Wood Duck is a familiar duck of riparian habitats, creeks and rivers, wooded swamps, beaver ponds, and freshwater marshes.

They nest in tree cavites or nest boxes, even cavities excavated by Pileated Woodpeckers. Both sexes search for a nest site, but the female makes the selection, he has no say in the matter. The female lines the nest with down from her breast after she starts laying eggs, about midway through. The clutch size is 6 to 16 eggs, that are creamy white to a dark tan and slightly glossy.

Plant material make up about 80% of their diet; fruits, and seeds, like acorns, soybeans, waterlily, millet, blackberries and wild cherries. The balance comes from insects and arthropods, such as, flies, beetles, caterpillars and snails.