Wood Duck

Wood Duck - Aix sponsa

Many hunters consider the wood duck the most beautiful of all our North American puddle ducks. The wood duck is all decked out with a burgundy-red chest, delicately barred wings and iridescent head of blue, white and green; topped off by elegant and dramatic crest. The wood duck is a sight to behold, both on the wing and in the hand. Wood duck hens are not a gaudy as the wood duck drakes, but they are pretty in their finely feathered garb of brown and gray. Wood ducks make a distinctive, high-pitched whistle in the air, a sound that is music to duck hunters’ ears. These 1 to 2 pound wood ducks prefer forested wetland habitat. The introduction of man-made nest boxes has helped wood ducks numbers rebound of the past several decades.