(Aix sponsa)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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NatureServe | N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding |
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Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Size |
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15″ to 20″ in length 30″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Unseen Wood Ducks are often recognized by the distinctive call they make while flying away at the approach of a human. |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Breeding: Beaver ponds; wooded swamps, ponds; marshes with trees or extensive cattails; lakeshores with wooded edges |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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March to October |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Aquatic vegetation, especially duckweed, sedges, and grasses; fruits; nuts |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common migrant and breeder |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Anseriformes (waterfowl) | ||
Family |
Anatidae (ducks, geese, and swans) | ||
Subfamily | Anatinae (dabbling ducks) | ||
Genus |
Aix (wood and mandarin ducks) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Visitor Photos |
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Share your photo of this bird. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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Wood Ducks and a Northern Flicker at a pond... I was filming the wood ducks and a northern flicker flew into view and went over by the ducks. It was at a pond in Norman County Mn. 9-17-23. |
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Wood Ducks... I only seen them close enough one April 2023 day at a pond in Norman Co. Mn. |
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Ramona Abrego |
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Lynn Rubey |
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A Wood Duck in flight. This one swam out from under a fallen tree before taking off flying into the sunlight as I captured this shot. In The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County. |
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A Female Woodduck in a pond in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. |
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Margot Avey |
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Wayne Rasmussen |
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Wood Duck with Mallard |
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“The Wood Duck nests in trees near water, sometimes directly over water, but other times up to 2 km (1.2 mi) away. After hatching, the ducklings jump down from the nest tree and make their way to water. The mother calls them to her, but does not help them in any way. The ducklings may jump from heights of up to 89 m (290 ft) without injury. They nest near this pond in the Maplewood Nature Center.” — Cornell Lab - All About Birds |
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Urban parks host a large variety of wildlife if you really spend some time observing. |
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Kirk Nelson |
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Wood ducks (male and female) and female Hooded Merganser with ducklings |
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Becky |
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Consistently around 8:15 p.m., this male Wood Duck and six others have been coming to our backyard (Credit River bluff area) to eat corn and birdseed. They are quick moving birds, making it almost impossible to take a sharp picture. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this bird. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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"Wood Ducks" Spring 2023 Aug 22, 2023 |
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About
Wood Ducks are beautiful ducks. Filmed in an area out of the wind on a pond early Spring 2023. Several were back in the cattails so I tried to imitate wood duck sounds. I wasn't as real sounding but they seemed somewhat curious and some did come out into view. A lot of grasses, cattail reeds, branches etc. to try film through. I remained silent once I seen them. There were geese across the pond, some sandhill cranes in the area etc. and some distant sounds can be heard. |
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Other Videos |
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Aix sponsa - Wood Ducks at Burnaby Lake wetvideocamera |
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About
Uploaded on Oct 5, 2011 Wood Ducks at Burnaby Lake. ( Aix sponsa ) Burnaby Lake, Burnaby, BC October 5 , 2011 |
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Wood / Carolina Duck (Aix sponsa) Mark George |
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About
Published on Apr 4, 2013 Filmed in Western Canada |
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Bird Haven Ranch Wood Ducks Jay Goble |
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About
Published on May 18, 2013 Amazingly successful: Paul Bonderson's Bird Haven Ranch Wood Duck Project |
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Deb & Stu Greenberg's Wood Duck Pond Jay Goble |
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About
Published on Jun 4, 2012 A visit to that magic backyard pond which is a magnet for all forms of wildlife. |
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2011-03-26 Wood duck with an attitude h2otara |
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About
Uploaded on Apr 20, 2011 This time of year the Wood Ducks are much more aggressive and easily agitated. I'm not sure what had this drake so upset, but you can hear a hen Wood Duck calling an alarm-type call from "stage left," and that may have been what caused all of his fast swimming, crest-raising and posturing. I apparently brushed the camera during the filming, so don't turn the volume up TOO loud--I don't want to break your ear drums. I have a LOT to learn about video compared to still shots! |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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Dan W. Andree 9/17/2023 |
Location: Norman Co. Mn. I was filming the wood ducks and a northern flicker flew into view and went over by the ducks. It was at a pond in Norman County Mn. 9-17-23. |
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Dan W. Andree April 2023 |
Location: Norman Co. Mn. I only seen them close enough one April 2023 day at a pond in Norman Co. Mn. |
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Lynn Rubey 5/15/2020 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge This one swam out from under a fallen tree before taking off flying into the sunlight as I captured this shot. In The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County. |
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Margot Avey 8/8/2019 |
Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center |
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Ramona Abrego 5/17/2019 |
Location: Becker County |
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Ramona Abrego 5/13/2019 |
Location: Becker County |
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Ramona Abrego 4/25/2019 |
Location: Becker County |
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Ramona Abrego 4/23/2019 |
Location: Becker County |
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Lynn Rubey 10/29/2018 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A Female Woodduck in a pond in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. |
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Wayne Rasmussen 5/16/2018 |
Location: Ramsey, Maplewood Hts |
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Wayne Rasmussen 5/13/2018 |
Location: Ramsey, Maplewood Hts Park |
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Wayne Rasmussen 6/28/2016 |
Location: Maplewood Nature Center “The Wood Duck nests in trees near water, sometimes directly over water, but other times up to 2 km (1.2 mi) away. After hatching, the ducklings jump down from the nest tree and make their way to water. The mother calls them to her, but does not help them in any way. The ducklings may jump from heights of up to 89 m (290 ft) without injury. They nest near this pond in the Maplewood Nature Center.” — Cornell Lab - All About Birds |
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Wayne Rasmussen 6/28/2016 |
Location: Maplewood Heights Park Urban parks host a large variety of wildlife if you really spend some time observing. |
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Kirk Nelson 5/29/2016 |
Location: Crosby Farm Regional Park Wood ducks (male and female) and female Hooded Merganser with ducklings |
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Becky 4/16/2016 |
Location: Savage Consistently around 8:15 p.m., this male Wood Duck and six others have been coming to our backyard (Credit River bluff area) to eat corn and birdseed. They are quick moving birds, making it almost impossible to take a sharp picture. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA Clifton E. French Regional Park Clinton Falls Dwarf Trout Lily SNA Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA Minnesota Valley NWR, Rapids Lake Unit Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, Lawrence Unit Rieck’s Lake Park and Campground (Alma, Wisconsin) Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge |
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