Wood duck

Scientific name: Aix sponsa

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males are striking with an iridescent green head, white breast with chestnut flanks, and distinctive facial markings; females are drab grey-brown with a white eye-ring and spotted underparts. Both sexes show white trailing edge on wings in flight.

Size and weight

Males 470–550 g, females 340–450 g; body length 47–54 cm.

Habitat

Wood ducks inhabit wooded swamps, marshes, river bottomlands, and shallow freshwater lakes with dense tree cover. They favour areas with abundant dead trees for cavity nesting and emergent vegetation for food and cover.

Distribution

Found across eastern and central North America, with western populations in coastal regions; prefer temperate and subtropical wetlands with mature forest.

Diet

Wood ducks feed on seeds from aquatic plants, acorns, and berries; ducklings and breeding birds also consume aquatic invertebrates and small fish.

Behaviour

Primarily crepuscular, feeding during dawn and dusk; highly arboreal compared to other ducks, often perching on branches and logs. They are dabbling ducks that move between roosting trees and feeding areas, typically in small flocks outside breeding season.

Hunting tips

Look for flights at dawn and dusk between wooded roost sites and feeding marshes; wood ducks leave distinctive tracks and droppings around mud banks and shallow margins. Approach from downwind through dense vegetation to conceal movement, and position near flight corridors between timber and water. Decoys and calling are effective near shallow feeding areas where birds congregate.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

United States

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.