The wood duck, also called the Carolina duck (Aix sponsa), is a species of perching duck that sometimes migrates and is found in North America. The male is one of the most colorful water birds in North America.

Taxonomy

The wood duck was first officially named in 1758 by the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his book Systema Naturae. He used the scientific name Anas sponsa. Linnaeus based his description on a bird called the "summer duck" from Carolina, which had been previously described and drawn by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in the first volume of his work The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, published between 1729 and 1731. Linnaeus originally said the duck came from North America, but later scientists limited this to the area of Carolina, following Catesby’s records. Today, the wood duck is grouped with the mandarin duck in the genus Aix, a name introduced in 1828 by the German naturalist Friedrich Boie. This species has no recognized subspecies. The genus name Aix comes from an Ancient Greek word used by Aristotle to describe an unknown diving bird. The specific name sponsa is Latin for "bride," derived from the word spodere, meaning "pledge."

Description

The wood duck is a medium-sized perching duck. An adult wood duck is typically 47 to 54 cm (19 to 21 in) long, with a wingspan of 66 to 73 cm (26 to 29 in). Its weight ranges from 454 to 862 grams (16.0 to 30.4 oz). This is about three-quarters the length of an adult mallard. It belongs to the same genus as the Asian mandarin duck (Aix galericulata).

The adult male has bright, colorful, shiny feathers and red eyes, with a white stripe along the neck. The female has less color, with a white ring around the eye and a pale throat. Both males and females have crested heads. The speculum, a colorful part of the wing, is shiny blue-green with a white edge on the back side.

The male’s call is a high-pitched whistle, "jeeeeee." The female makes a long, rising squeal, "do weep do weep," when startled, and a sharp, repeated sound, "cr-r-ek, cr-e-ek," when alarmed.

Distribution

Wood ducks live in parts of their southern range all year, but those in the north move south for the winter. They spend the winter in the southern United States near the Atlantic Coast. About 75% of wood ducks in the Pacific Flyway do not migrate. Because of their colorful feathers, they are often kept in waterfowl collections. These birds are sometimes found in Great Britain after escaping from captivity. In the past, small groups of wood ducks were seen in Surrey, but these groups are not able to survive on their own like the closely related mandarin duck. In England and Wales, wood ducks are considered invasive, and it is against the law to release them into the wild. Because they naturally live in North America, wood ducks may occasionally appear in Western Europe. Records of wood ducks have been found in places like Cornwall, Scotland, and the Isles of Scilly. Some people think these birds might be wild, but it is very hard to prove whether they are wild or escaped from captivity.

Behavior

Wood ducks live in wooded swamps, shallow lakes, marshes, ponds, and creeks in the eastern United States, the west coast of the United States, parts of southern Canada, and the west coast of Mexico. They are named because they are one of the few duck species that perch and nest in trees. In recent years, their nesting area has grown to include the Great Plains. Today, most wood ducks breed in the Mississippi alluvial valley. They often nest in tree cavities near water, but they may also use nesting boxes in wetland areas. Other animals, such as birds of prey and grey squirrels, may compete for these nesting spaces and sometimes use the same boxes. This competition can cause wood ducks to nest up to one mile away from water. Female wood ducks line their nests with feathers and soft materials. The height of the tree cavity helps protect their eggs from predators like raccoons, owls, and hawks. Unlike most ducks, wood ducks have sharp claws for climbing trees. In southern regions, they can raise two groups of young in one season, a unique trait among North American ducks.

Wood ducks usually begin laying eggs between February and April. A female typically lays between seven and fifteen eggs, which take about thirty days to hatch. However, if nesting boxes are placed too close together, females may lay eggs in other nests, leading to nests with up to thirty eggs or more. This behavior is called "nest dumping" and can result in failed hatching.

The day after hatching, young wood ducks climb to the opening of their nest and jump from the tree to the ground. The next morning, the mother leaves the nest to find food and check for safety. When she is ready, she calls her chicks to follow her. These young ducks can survive jumps from as high as 50 feet by landing in water or on soft materials like leaves. The mother guides them to water, where the ducklings can swim and find their own food. Wood ducks prefer to nest near water so their young have a safe landing.

Wood ducks eat by dabbling (feeding at the water’s surface) or grazing on land. Their diet includes berries, acorns, seeds, and insects, making them omnivores. They can crush acorns in their gizzard, a part of their stomach.

Wood ducks have unique sounds that help them communicate, especially during mating season. The male’s main call is a rising whistle, described as "jeeeeee." Females make different calls, such as a long, rising "do weep do weep" when startled and a sharp "cr-r-ek, cr-e-ek" when alarmed.

During courtship, wood ducks use specific calls to attract mates and form pairs. These calls are musical and whistling, often paired with movements like head-bobbing and flashing their wings. Males and females have different calls for different situations, such as finding mates, defending territory, or staying in contact with their young.

Predation

Wood ducks are often preyed upon by great horned owls, American mink, raccoons, red foxes, gray foxes, American alligators, and black rat snakes.

Conservation

The wood duck population dropped greatly in the late 1800s because of loss of their natural homes and hunting for meat and feathers used in European women's hats. By the early 1900s, wood ducks were very rare and almost gone in many places. After the Migratory Bird Treaty in 1916 and the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918, rules were made to stop hunting and protect forests and wetlands. These efforts helped wood ducks return starting in the 1920s. In the 1930s, people began building nesting boxes to help wood ducks lay eggs safely. A summary of research by Williams et al. (2020) showed that artificial nesting sites, like these boxes, help wood ducks survive, even though they are not as good as natural hollow trees.

People who own land, as well as those who manage parks and wildlife areas, can help wood ducks by placing nesting boxes near lakes, ponds, and streams. In Fulda, Minnesota, the wood duck is an unofficial symbol, and many nesting boxes are found there.

The spread of beavers, which create wetlands that wood ducks like, has also helped their population grow.

In recent years, wood duck numbers have increased because of efforts to build nesting boxes and protect their habitats. During the open hunting season, U.S. hunters can take two wood ducks per day in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways. In the 2008–2009 season, the limit was raised to three in these areas. The limit stays at two in the Central Flyway and seven in the Pacific Flyway. Wood ducks are the second most hunted duck in North America, after mallards.

On March 26, 2026, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 4044, making the wood duck the official duck of Michigan. Wood ducks were almost gone in the early 1900s, but now about 100,000 live in Michigan. Whitmer’s office called the wood duck a "conservation success story."

In popular culture

In 2013, the Royal Canadian Mint created two coins to honor the wood duck. Each coin is part of a three-coin set. The set was made to help promote Ducks Unlimited Canada and to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

Gallery

• A front view of a drake
• Duckling
• A breeding pair
• A hen swimming with two of her young following
• A close-up view of a drake's head
• A side view of a drake
• A male in eclipse plumage
• A female duck swimming
• A duck taking off from ice
• A male duck in flight, viewed from the side
• A male wood duck/mallard hybrid (A. sponsa x Anas platyrhynchos)
• A female duck in New York