Wood ducks leave the nest after one day
by Diane Constable
The beautiful wood duck is not the most common duck in our area. It is usually found around marshes, swamps and slow-moving streams, particularly where there are trees. The scientific name, Aix sponsa, means “water spouse,” as the male of this diving water bird looks like he is a groom dressed up for a wedding.
Smaller than a mallard, wood ducks are about 18-21 inches long, weigh 16-30 ounces, and have about a 27-inch wingspan. They have strong claws on their webbed feet that enable them to grip tree bark and perch in trees. Their narrower body and wing structure make it easier for them to fly through tight places, such as woodlands.
Wood ducks are our only ducks that nest in holes in trees, up to a mile from water, or in specially designed wood duck houses. Sometimes, they have two broods per year. The female wood duck lines the cavity with down feathers and lays from six to 15 white to tan eggs, which hatch in four to six weeks.
The ducklings are alert when hatched, with a full coat of down. The young leave the nest after one day, and can fly in eight to 10 weeks. These ducks can live up to 20 years.
Wood ducks are dabblers, eating from the surface of the water rather than diving under. They also eat on land. Their omnivorous diet consists of duckweed, smartweed, waterlilies, berries, acorns, flies, beetles, caterpillars, snails, tadpoles, and other vegetation and small creatures.
Fun Fact: The day after the eggs hatch, the female leaves the nest to feed. She also scouts the area for danger, and when she feels it’s safe, she calls from the ground to her chicks to join her. The 1-day-old chicks claw their way up to the opening and jump out to the ground or water, where the female is waiting. They can safely jump from 50 feet up, landing in water or soft leaves. The female leads them to water, where they quickly learn to feed themselves while the parents take care of security. They watch over the ducklings until they are able to keep themselves safe.
As an avid photographer, Diane Constable regularly puts her formal education in both nature and photography to good use. Diane also enjoys gardening and her dogs. She serves on the board of the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club and is editor of the club’s newsletter.
