Two female and two male Wood Ducks take off in flight.

Wood Ducks

Wood Ducks are tree ducks—they perch on tree branches, usually near or not far from water. To enable them to perch securely on a tree branch, they are endowed with sharp nails or claws on their webbed feet. They nest in tree cavities or man-made boxes situated high above the ground. The hatchlings are precocial, meaning they are capable of independent activity shortly after birth and can follow their mother to water and begin feeding once their feathers are dried off after hatching. They leap out of the tree hole and fall to the ground from the nest which may be as high as 50 feet off the ground. Their closest relative is the Mandarin Duck which is native to China and is also strikingly multicolored.

Length: 18.5-21.3 inches, Weight: 16.0-30.4 ounces, Wingspan: 26.0-28.7 inches.

The male Wood Duck is very colorful with iridescent chestnut and green plus multicolor patterns throughout.

This newly hatched duckling follows its mother. The female Wood Duck has a distinctive white, horizontal teardrop pattern around her eye.

Bird Walks Apr. 6. & May 4. Two-hour walk starts at 8am. Free, but you must RSVP at blufflake.org/birdwatching. All are welcome. Bring your own binoculars, or borrow a pair from your guide. 11255 MLK Blvd. Search FrontPorchNE.com for “Bird Sightings” to see all the past bird stories and photos from George Ho.