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Wood Duck

Aix sponsaOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)
Codes: Common Name: WODU Scientific Name: AIXSPO ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175122

Breeding Location:

Marshes, freshwater, Swamps



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester



Breeding Population:

Increasing



Egg Color:

Creamy white or pale buff.



Number of Eggs:

9 - 15



Incubation Days:

25 - 37



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Lined with down.



Migration:

Migratory



Splitbar

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Attracting Clingers

General

Wood Duck: Small tree duck with brown back, white throat, and purple-brown breast with white flecks grading to a white belly; flanks are buff-yellow. Crested head is green and purple with white stripes; throat is white with two bars, one extending as a partial collar, the other extending behind and below the red eyes. Bill is brightly patterned black, white, and red. Legs and feet are dull yellow. Female is much duller with gray-brown head, neck, and breast, white-spotted flanks, weak crest, dark eyes surrounded by a large, white teardrop-shaped patch, white belly and blue-gray bill. Juvenile resembles female but is grayer overall with scaled underparts, has darker, spotted belly, and white eyebrows and dark eye-lines. Eclipse male resembles female but retains bright bill, red eyes, and white throat patches.

Range and Habitat

Wood Duck: Breeds across most of central and eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada and along the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. Preferred habitats include wooded swamps and freshwater marshes.

Breeding and Nesting

Wood Duck: Nine to fifteen creamy white or pale buff eggs are laid in a tree cavity lined with down. Incubation ranges from 25 to 37 days and is carried out by the female. Young can fly at 56 to 70 days. Occasionally produces two broods per year.

Foraging and Feeding

Wood Duck: Feeds on vegetation, insects, snails, tadpoles, and salamanders; forages while swimming.

Vocalization

Wood Duck: Call is a thin, high, rising "jeeeeee."

Similar Species

Wood Duck: None in range.

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Family Surface-feeding Duck (Anatidae)_blue
Species Aix sponsa
Length17 - 20 Inches
Wingspan29 Inches

Wood Duck

Wood Duck: Small tree duck with brown back, white throat, purple-brown breast with white flecks grading to white belly; buff-yellow flanks. Crested head is green and purple with white stripes; white throat has two bars, one extends as a partial collar, the other extends behind and below eyes.

● Song: "jeeeeee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Wood Duck: Feeds on vegetation, insects, snails, tadpoles, and salamanders; forages while swimming.

● Breeding & nesting: Wood Duck: Nine to fifteen creamy white or pale buff eggs are laid in a tree cavity lined with down. Incubation ranges from 25 to 37 days and is carried out by the female. Young can fly at 56 to 70 days. Occasionally produces two broods per year.

● Similar species: Wood Duck: None in range.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Wood Duck Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Wood Duck: Breeds across most of central and eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada and along the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. Preferred habitats include wooded swamps and freshwater marshes.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationIncreasing
MigrationMigratory
Weight24 Ounces
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CollarX
Similar to the upper part of the human neck, located at the back of the crown.
CrestX
Tufts of feathers on the head of the bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX