Wood Ducks
(Aix sponsa)

Wood ducks are the most beautiful ducks in North America. The males are vibrant! I first saw a wood duck at my favorite pond 7 years ago. It was a moment that made me return to the pond time and time again. How I love the female wood duck. It always seems as if she's smiling and, when she has ducklings to care for, she is very protective. Wood ducks are 18.5 inches long and the length between their wings is 30 inches. It's one of the smaller ducks but oh such a beauty.

Did you know that the male wood duck is in his colorful state only during mating season? The mating season is from March through mid-July. The wood ducks return to Wisconsin in April or May and immediately start their family. I watch them in wonder as two or three males go after a female. They mate for the season.

The pond where I go has three or four wood duck boxes where the female goes inside and has her ducklings while the male sits on top and protects them. Then, when the ducklings are hatched, they jump one by one into the pond. It's a sight I have yet to see.


The male and female have a different song. I love hearing them. The female's song is higher pitched than the males. Visiting the pond where they are means that you will hear their song.

I often wondered about their name. Turns out they get their name from their surroundings as they live in marshy areas and have the ability to perch in trees. I have yet to see a wood duck in a tree at my favorite pond. I keep my eyes open whenever I'm there.

Their scientific name (Aix sponsa),  is greek from the work "aiks" which means water bird and latin "sponsa" speaks of the beautiful plumage.It is believed to be so beautiful that the duck is "dressed for a wedding" (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service).

What do wood ducks eat? They are dabblers in that they take short dives to capture their food. 80% of what they eat is in the water they live by.  The grasses and water lilies are also on their diet. They also enjoy wild berries, water plant seeds as well as insects, acorns and other nuts they may find. I have watched in wonder as the family of wood ducks live in the waters where the lily pads and water lilies grow. The pond I go to has more lily pads and water lilies than I can count. It's a sight to behold! The lily pads and water lilies also help protect them as they hide there.

It's fun to see them fly. They can fly 30 mph which is really fast when you're standing by the small pond. It takes no time at all for them to go from one end to the other.

Just like us, they need their vitamin D. You will find them sitting on the bank of a pond or sitting on rocks at the shore. There was a time when I saw five or more sitting on the rocks. They are nervous ducks and in that, if you get too close to them, they will swim away.

Have you watched them swim? They put their heads forward and use their webbed feet to swim. They are fast swimmers! They also have claws so that they can hold onto a tree where they sometimes nest.

There is, of course, lots more to learn about the wood ducks. This is a window to my favorite ducks.

The next time you visit your local pond, look out for the beauties. Also watch in May for the babies to jump out and immediately swim with their parents. Both the mother and father take care of the babies. He is very protective of the mom. It's a wonder to see.

Thank you for visiting! If you are interested in any of the photos, let me know. I post them here to show you what I see. I'm a photographer and love sharing my work. Hope you enjoy the view.

Coming next week: learn about grasshoppers.


Judy


References:

Alderferer, J. (2013). National Geographic Kids: Bird Guide to North America.

Kaufman, K. (1997). Lives of North American Birds.

Lawrence, E. (2017). Wood Duck.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services. Chesapeake Bay Field Office. Definitely a Bird of a Different Color.

www.withmephotographyblog.com/8-interesting-facts-about-the-wood-duck.

http://woodduckbringsas.weebly.com/fun-facts-html.