Overview
Get to Know the Wood Duck!
It’s hard to miss a wood duck with their exceptional feather colors, or plumage. From March to June, male wood ducks have a green crested head, bright red eyes, and dramatic white lines along their head and sides. Year-round, females like the one in the aviary have a very distinct white “teardrop” along their darker eyes. Outside of March to June, males have a more subdued appearance with their green crest and most of their white lines replaced with a softer brown, but they still have their unique red eyes.
Where to Find Me
Finding the wood duck in the Marsh Aviary is not so much a matter of “where” as is it “with who.” She doesn’t have a specific area preference as long as she is in or very close to the aviary water, and she spends most of her time close to the Northern shoveler.
Special Care
If guests look along the banks of the Marsh Aviary, they may notice several slabs of wood that look like natural ramps from the aviary grass to the water. These logs have been strategically placed to enhance the natural look as well as to offer behavioral benefits to the ducks in the aviary. They provide an easy ramp out of the water in case any ducks have a tough time leaving via the standard banks, and they break lines of sight within the duck group, giving birds like the wood duck the opportunity to swim with the Northern shoveler without being crowded by others.
Conservation Status
Least Concern
This status means that the population of wood ducks living in their native habitat is doing well, but there are always opportunities to ensure the continued wellbeing of this species.
How you can help
All waterfowl need a safe, clean habitat where they can feed and nest. You can help local Maryland species of ducks, geese, and swans by keeping trash out of wetland habitats and waterways.
You can also support the wellbeing of waterfowl by refraining from giving them human food. Although feeding local wildlife can feel helpful, it can actually harm them. They may become more bold and aggressive. In addition, bread and other human foods are not healthy items for waterfowl.
How the Zoo is helping
The Maryland Zoo is one of many zoos that house animals that have been rehabilitated but can no longer survive without professional care. A bird may be unreleasable due to severe injuries that prohibit movement, a lack of fear of humans, or damage to their senses that makes it hard for them to find food or avoid predators.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Anseriformes
- Family: Anatidae
- Genus: Aix
- Species: A. sponsa