Photo by George Wall

What is the most beautiful of all ducks in North America? Birders and Naturalists alike think it is the Wood Duck. I saw my first Wood Duck in Mexico, but it was from a great distance and on the fly; so I couldn’t really see how truly beautiful it was. On a recent trip to San Diego, I got a really close-up look and was able to take several pictures including the one above. Now you have to agree, this is truly a beautiful bird.

The Wood Duck was nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th and early 20 centuries, but in 1918 the hunting season for them was closed. In the next 20 years, the number of Wood Ducks increased dramatically until now there are over a million of them in North America.

Description: They range in size from 17-20 inches and they ride higher in the water than other ducks. One of the first things you notice about them from a distance is the striped head with the white around the neck. As you get closer, you can’t help but notice the beautiful red eyes and the black, red and white bill. The male has multi-colored plumage during the mating season which is from October to June.

Territory: They are all over the United States and down into Mexico. They are usually in pairs or small groups, but never in large flocks. One interesting fact is that they have the ability to return to the same nesting site year after year.

Diet: Unusual in some respects, the ducklings feed entirely on animal life like aquatic insects. But, as they grow older, they change to plant life like duckweed. Finally as adults, they feed heavily on acorns, grain, seeds and fruit like wild grapes.

Nesting/breeding: They are cavity nesters in rotted out trees usually with a ½ mile of water. Nests have been found just a few feet off the ground to as high as 60 feet, but they prefer about the middle of that height. The females lay 10-15 dull white eggs and incubation is from 28-37 days. The male doesn’t help at all in this.