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Wildlife
- Birds - |
Wood Duck
(Aix sponsa) M, B |
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RANGE: Breeds in western North America from southern British
Columbia and southwestern Alberta south to central California
and western Montana; in eastern North America from east-central
Saskatchewan east to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia south
(east of the Rockies) to central and southeastern Texas and the
Gulf Coast. In the West, winters irregularly throughout the
breeding range; in the East, winters primarily in the southern
parts of the breeding range.
STATUS: Common; population has increased in recent years
primarily because of the availability of artificial nest
structures and protection for most of the year.
HABITAT: Inhabits woodlands near shallow, quiet inland lakes,
swamps, river bottoms, ponds, marshes, and streams where nest
sites are available. Important forest types are central and
southern floodplain forests, red maple swamps, temporarily
flooded oak forests, and northern bottomland hardwoods. Prefers
areas with many perching sites.
SPECIAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Nest holes in trees or nest boxes
in or near still or slow-moving water. Strongest nesting
habitat association in Western riverine woodland.
NEST: Prefers to nest in natural cavities 20 to 50 feet above
ground with entrance holes of 4 inches in diameter, cavity
depths of 2 feet, and cavity bottoms measuring 10 by 10 inches.
Uses nest trees in (or up to one-half mile from) water 3 to 18
inches deep. Readily accepts nest boxes provided with nesting
materials of wood shavings or sawdust.
FOOD: Eats about 90 percent plant material. Forages in ponds,
marshes, sluggish streams, or along wooded banks for floating
duckweeds, baldcypress cones and galls, seeds and tubers, wild
rice, acorns, beechnuts, hickory nuts, grapes, berries, corn,
and wheat. Also eats some invertebrates, such as spiders and
aquatic insects.
REFERENCES: Adamus et al. 2001, Bellrose 1976, Grice and Rogers
1965, McGilvrey 1968, Miller 1999, Palmer 1976b, Shunk 2004,
Terres 1980. |
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