Wood Duck

The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches.

This wood duck doesn't look like the traditional flamboyant wood ducks but that is because this is a non-breeding male wood duck. If it was a breeding male wood duck, it would have the picturesque head piece.

Dad is responsible for this picture. We were going into Chick-fil-a when Dad pointed out this duck near the parking lot. I had my heart set on a milk shake but I was able to fight off that craving long enough to snap a few pics of this bird.

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. The Wood Duck is a popular game bird, and is second only to the Mallard in numbers shot each year in the United States. Wood Ducks pair up in January, and most birds arriving at the breeding grounds in the spring are already paired. The Wood Duck is the only North American duck that regularly produces two broods in one year.