Minnesota Seasons - Wood Duck

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

Photo by Wayne Rasmussen

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

Minnesota

not listed


	Description


	Size
	15″ to 20″ in length 30″ wingspan

	Voice


	Similar Species



	Habitat
	Breeding: Beaver ponds; wooded swamps, ponds; marshes with trees or extensive cattails; lakeshores with wooded edges


	Biology
	Migration
	March to October

	Nesting


	Food
	Aquatic vegetation, especially duckweed, sedges, and grasses; fruits; nuts


	Distribution
	Occurrence
	Common migrant and breeder

	Maps
	The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map


	Taxonomy
	Class	Aves (birds)
	Order	Anseriformes (waterfowl)
	Family	Anatidae (ducks, geese, and swans)
	Subfamily	Anatinae (dabbling ducks)
	Genus	Aix (wood and mandarin ducks)



	Synonyms


Visitor Photos

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Ramona Abrego







Lynn Rubey

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.

A Female Woodduck in a pond in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.


Margot Avey





Wayne Rasmussen



Wood Duck with Mallard








“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

Urban parks host a large variety of wildlife if you really spend some time observing.


Kirk Nelson

Wood ducks (male and female) and female Hooded Merganser with ducklings


Becky

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.

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Camera


Slideshows

	Wood Duck Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren


	Wood Duck Ed McVicker


	Wood Duck JMC Nature Photos


	Wood Duck 2008 petersonfieldguides

	About Uploaded on Feb 21, 2009 The colorful harlequin plumage of the Wood Duck makes it so striking as to seem unreal. Add to that its odd squealing calls and tree-nesting habits, and you have a most unusual duck.

slideshow


Visitor Videos

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Other Videos

	Aix sponsa - Wood Ducks at Burnaby Lake wetvideocamera

	About Uploaded on Oct 5, 2011 Wood Ducks at Burnaby Lake. ( Aix sponsa ) Burnaby Lake, Burnaby, BC October 5 , 2011

	Wood / Carolina Duck (Aix sponsa) Mark George

	About Published on Apr 4, 2013 Filmed in Western Canada

	Bird Haven Ranch Wood Ducks Jay Goble

	About Published on May 18, 2013 Amazingly successful: Paul Bonderson's Bird Haven Ranch Wood Duck Project

	Deb & Stu Greenberg's Wood Duck Pond Jay Goble

	About Published on Jun 4, 2012 A visit to that magic backyard pond which is a magnet for all forms of wildlife.

	2011-03-26 Wood duck with an attitude h2otara

	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!

Camcorder


Visitor Sightings

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		This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location.

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.

Margot Avey 8/8/2019	Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

Ramona Abrego 5/17/2019	Location: Becker County

Ramona Abrego 5/13/2019	Location: Becker County

Ramona Abrego 4/25/2019	Location: Becker County

Ramona Abrego 4/23/2019	Location: Becker County

Lynn Rubey 10/29/2018	Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A Female Woodduck in a pond in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

Wayne Rasmussen 5/16/2018	Location: Ramsey, Maplewood Hts

Wayne Rasmussen 5/13/2018	Location: Ramsey, Maplewood Hts Park

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

Wayne Rasmussen 6/28/2016	Location: Maplewood Heights Park Urban parks host a large variety of wildlife if you really spend some time observing.

Kirk Nelson 5/29/2016	Location: Crosby Farm Regional Park Wood ducks (male and female) and female Hooded Merganser with ducklings

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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