DUCKS, GEESE

Wood Duck, Aix sponsa

Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese)

Size: 18"

Season: Year-round

Habitat: Wooded ponds, swamps

The regal Wood Duck is among the dabbling ducks, or those that tip headfirst into shallow water to pluck aquatic plants and animals from the bottom. The male is long tailed and small billed, with a dark back, light buff flanks, and sharp black-and-white head patterning. It also sports a bushy head crest that droops behind the nape. The female is gray-brown with spotting along the underside and a conspicuous white teardrop-shaped eye patch. Both sexes swim with their heads angled downward as if in a nod and have sharp claws, which they use to cling to branches and snags. The breeding female (top) and breeding male (bottom) are illustrated.