Bird of the Week: Wood Duck

Wood Duck
Aix sponsa

 Content and photos by James Giroux

There are few North American birds that can rival the Wood Duck for flashiness and color. Just count the colors: red, yellow, orange, blue, green, purple, white, black and a few colors I don’t know the names of. The fashion-minded French know a good thing when they see it, and have named the duck Canard branchu which translates to “Trendy Duck”. But, like many bird species, it is only the male that is “trendy” and well dressed. The female is not as flashy, but has her own subtle beauty – dressed in blue-gray, white, brown and white streaks and spots, and a few iridescent feathers that are mostly hidden.

The Wood Duck has a lot of characteristics that set it apart from most ducks. It builds its nest in tree cavities, or nest boxes that fit their size. Think about other birds that nest in tree cavities, and how they fly up to the nest and perch. How might a duck (with duck feet) land and perch at a tree cavity? The answer is that they have “claws” designed just for this purpose, and are able to hang on to the side of a tree. Most ducks prefer open water and open areas in general. But Wood Ducks prefer wooded swamps and marshes. They have broader, shorter wings and a broader tail that helps them maneuver through wooded areas. Whereas most ducks freely mingle with other duck species, Wood Ducks tend to hang out with their own species.  Finally, the Wood Duck is the only North American duck that regularly produces two broods in a single season.

As the range map shows, Wood Ducks inhabit most of the U.S. at least some part of the year. In Austin, most sightings occur along the Colorado River, but they can show up almost anywhere there is a little water. Your best bet to find this duck is to look for it at these locations from fall through late spring: Commons Ford Park, Roy Guerrero Park and Laguna Gloria.

Wood Duck chicks are remarkable in that they leave the nest about one day after hatching. And even more remarkable is that the nest can be very high up in a tree. In other words, the newly hatched ducklings must jump from sometimes dizzying heights when they leave the nest. Rather than me explaining how all that works, take a look at this amazing 4-minute Smithsonian video on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/IHl7N-Gj9QU

After watching you will understand that the Wood Duck is more than just a pretty face.

Sources:
https://allaboutbirds.org
https://eBird.org