Wood Ducks-male and female
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
(Anatidae)
Global Rank:
G5
State Rank:
S5B
Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
none
BLM:
none
General Description
Small to medium sized duck with crested head, broad wings, and large, rectangularly shaped tail. Sexes dimorphic in Alternate plumage. Male has distinctive facial pattern (iridescent green and purple head; white throat with fingerlike extensions onto cheek and neck; red eye; long green, purple, and white crest; and burgundy breast) and overall colorful plumage. The brownish to gray female Wood Duck is distinguished by a pronounced white patch around the eye, white throat, and gray crest. Males in Basic plumage and juveniles resemble adult females. (Hepp and Bellrose. The Birds of North America, No. 169, 1995).
Economic Value
Wood Ducks are popular with duck hunters and consistently rank high among ducks harvested in the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways. Hunting pressure has increased with a decline in prairie duck populations. In the U.S., the average annual harvest before 1963 was less than 165,000, while harvest in the 1980s averaged about 1,000,000 (Dugger and Fredrickson 1992).
Migration
Normal migration periods statewide are from early April to early May and from September 14 to November 7 (Davis 1961, Skaar 1969).
Habitat
Wide variety of habitats: creeks, rivers, overflow, bottomlands, swamps, marshes, beaver and farm ponds (Hepp and Bellrose 1995). In the Bozeman area it is found most of the time in quiet sloughs in mature cottonwood forests (Skaar 1969).
Food Habits
The Wood Duck is an omnivore with a broad diet. Seeds, fruits and aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates are main foods taken (Hepp and Bellrose 1995).
Reproductive Characteristics
A cavity nester, but does not excavate the cavity; instead uses preformed cavities. Eggs are elliptical to subelliptical, vary in color from white or creamy white to dark tan and are fairly glossy (Hepp and Bellrose 1995). Nesting occurs from late May to early July (Davis 1961). Small chicks were seen near Three Forks on June 26, and a single chick near Missoula on June 23 (Skaar 1969), representing the earliest chick records.
Citations & Sources
- Lenard, S., J. Carlson, J. Ellis, C. Jones, and C. Tilly. 2003. P. D. Skaar's Montana Bird Distribution, 6th Edition. Montana Audubon, Helena, Montana. vi + 144 pp.
- NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. 2002. Version 1.6 . Arlington, Virginia, USA: NatureServe. Available: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: March 20, 2003 ).
