ORDER

Anseriformes (waterfowl)

FAMILY

Anatidae (ducks, geese, and swans)

HABITAT AND RANGE

The wood ducks’ range extends on the east coast from Nova Scotia west to the north central US and south to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Woodland areas along lakes, rivers, and vegetated wetland areas.

IDENTIFICATION

The wood duck is a medium sized duck with a wingspan of about 28 inches and a long crest on its head.

DIET

The early diet of ducklings consists largely of insects, aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and other high-protein animal material. After six weeks of age, the young switch to plant foods until their diet consists of approximately 90 percent vegetative material, primarily aquatic plants such as algae, watermeal, watershield, sago pondweed, and duckweed. Adult wood ducks feed on a variety of nuts and fruits, aquatic plants and seeds, and aquatic insects and other invertebrates.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Egglaying, 3-5 eggs at one time.

NOTES

The wood duck is considered by many bird watchers to be North America’s most colorful waterfowl species. The story of the wood duck is an example of how active wildlife management techniques can have a tremendous effect on the overall success of an individual species.