Wood ducks (Aix sponsa) are considered by many hunters and nature enthusiasts to be the most beautiful duck in the United States. Trout fishermen value their patterned feathers for tying flies to use in fishing.

These ducks are called woodies or tree ducks in some localities because they perch and nest in trees. They may also be called squealers because of their squeal-like call. These ducks have fully developed claws on their webbed feet. They normally have long tails and their wings are iridescent (shifting, rainbow-like colors). Wood ducks nest in tree cavities. They may be seen perching on branches like other birds.

DESCRIPTION

Wood ducks are smaller than the familiar mallards but larger than the smallest ducks, the teals. Flying woodies may be identified by their large head, short neck, and long, square tail. Their bill is pointed down while flying. Each wing is 8-9 inches long. Wood ducks average 20 inches in length. They weigh about 1 and 1/2 pounds.

The colorful male woodie has an iridescent purple and green colored crest. The chest is burgundy with white spots. Its belly is white. The sides are bronze, with a front border of black and white bands. Its back and tail are various shades of purple and blue. The speculum (colored patch on wing) is iridescent blue green with a white band on its back edge.

The female woodie also has a crested head. It has a white throat and belly. The speculum is iridescent blue. The eye is blackish-brown surrounded by a white ring. Its back, tail and sides are colored brown or olive-brown.

Woodie ducklings are covered with soft yellow and brown downy feathers. This natal (present at birth) down is replaced by juvenile plumage by mid-summer. The juvenile grows adult plumage by late fall. Until then, the juvenile wood duck looks like the female. The main difference is that the juvenile's belly is white with brown mottling while the female's is solid white.

During the summer, both male and female wood ducks undergo a summer molt (loss of feathers). They are flightless for several weeks. The male's summer plumage is similar to the female's coloration. However, the male keeps the white markings on the side of its head, the red iris and eye ring, and the bright red spot at the bill's base. They regrow their breeding plumage by early fall.

HABITAT

Wood ducks live on flooded bottomlands, beaver ponds, woodland marshes, and the banks of creeks or rivers. Natural tree cavities or man-made nest boxes are important for nesting. Wood duck habitat needs a pond or lake that is at least 10 acres in size or larger. A border of mast (nuts, seeds and fruit) producing trees is essential. Emergent water vegetation including cattails, willow trees and buttonbush help provide cover for the hen and her brood. Large trees, which hang out over the stream or river bank provide excellent hiding places. Wood ducks can use cover to hide effectively. Observers sometimes see no wood ducks in a specific area and later watch large numbers fly up from that very spot!

FOOD AND FEEDING BEHAVIOR

Wood ducks eat seeds from plants such as wild rice, smartweed, or pondweed. Burreed, spatter dock, arrow arum, pickerel weed, and wild celery are also consumed. Grass and sedge seed may be eaten. Acorns, beechnuts, and other nuts provide much fall nutrition. Wood ducks also eat the fruits from dogwood, black gum, ash, wild grape, and mulberry.

Young ducklings eat more animal matter than adults eat. The ducklings eat insects such as dragonflies, damselflies, grasshoppers, crickets, ants, bees, wasps, and beetles. On rare occasions, the wood duck may eat minnows, tadpoles, frogs or even salamanders.

BEHAVIOR

Courtship. Wood ducks begin courting during September in Michigan. Courting ends in the spring. There are 3 phases to the courtship period. The first is group displaying. This phase begins in September when groups of 10 or less ducks gather. These groups usually have more males than females. Group members display their colorful plumage and wings, and make squeal-like calls in the early morning and during the late afternoon. During this group courtship, several males swim around the female. Pair-bonding is the second phase of courtship. During this time the female chooses her mate. Pair-bonding takes place on winter habitat. Pair maintenance is the third phase of courtship and occurs during the spring in Michigan. The pair maintains their bond by displaying their feather colors, spreading their wings, using various body positions, and vocalizations.

Nesting. Wood ducks begin nesting in the spring when they return to Michigan in March and April from their winter ranges. The females typically return to the area where they were hatched. The male remains with the female although the female does the searching for and selection of the nesting cavity.

The female requires a nest opening at least 3-1/2 inches wide. The nest site may be anywhere from 4 to 80 feet off the ground or water surface. The cavity itself needs to be at least 1 foot deep and 11-12 inches in diameter. Woodpecker and flicker holes, naturally occurring holes, or man-made nest boxes are all suitable sites. Natural litter such as wood shavings, wood chips, or leaf litter must cover the bottom of the cavity. If a man-made nest box is provided, 3 inches of wood shavings should be placed in the bottom of the box. Females add down (soft fuzzy feathers from their body) to the nest and make a cup-like depression for the eggs.

Wood ducks lay one egg a day until the clutch of 10-15 eggs is complete. The eggs are the size of chicken eggs and are dull white in color. The female covers the eggs with down from her breast beginning with the 6th or 7th egg. When egg laying is complete, the eggs are nestled in a cushion of down. The female incubates the eggs for 30 days. During that time, she leaves the nest for short periods during the day for feeding and preening.

The female calls for the drake when leaving the nest. The feeding time is spent together. The drakes do not help in incubating and will leave the female during incubation.

Some female wood ducks practice egg-dumping (laying eggs in nests of other females). These females wait until the nest's owner is away, then they lay their own eggs in that nest. Research shows that 30-40% of the eggs in any one nest are dumped by other females. This may insure that each pair successfully hatches some eggs. Female wood ducks show no objection to hatching strange eggs.

Nestling and fledgling. The ducklings begin to call out 2 or 3 days before the eggs hatch. Females respond to these calls with calls of their own. Most of the ducklings break out of their shells on the same day. The ducklings are covered with brown and yellow down when they hatch. They are brooded (protected or covered) by the hen for about 24 hours after hatching.

The day after hatching, the hen leaves the nest when it is safe and begins calling to the ducklings. One by one, the ducklings crawl to the nest entrance and jump to the ground (or water) which may be 60 feet or more below the nest. Both the ducklings and the hen make a kuk kuk kuk call during this process. The hen waits until all ducklings have right the nest and, if on land, leads them to the nearest water.

The family joins other family groups at the feeding grounds. The hens remain near the ducklings for about 2 weeks. After this time, one hen may stay with several broods of ducklings. The ducklings are nearly independent by this time. They grow juvenile plumage by 3 weeks of age. Juveniles can fly at 8 to 9 weeks of age.

Roosting. Juvenile wood ducks begin roosting in trees together at night when they begin flying. Adults join the juveniles at night after completing their summer molt. Roosting in large groups continues until breeding begins in the spring.

Molting. Wood ducks, like all waterfowl, lose their flight (wing) feathers for a short time each summer. During this time even the male wears drab colored feathers which helps to protect him from predators. If he was to wear his breeding plumage, he would literally be a "sitting duck" for predators.

Territories. Wood ducks do not maintain or defend nesting territories in the usual sense of the word. Male wood ducks do defend the area immediately surrounding their mate. This area includes the small portion of the lake, river, or wetland where the female feeds.