Photo: lwolfartist / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) — Ducks, Geese & Swans of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) is a member of the Anatidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 658 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Anseriformes
- Family Anatidae Ducks, Geese, Swans
- Genus Aix
- Species sponsa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 658 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Anatidae
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Male vs female
Strongly dimorphic: the breeding drake has an iridescent green-and-purple crested head with bold white stripes, red eyes and bill, and chestnut breast, while the female is gray-brown with a distinctive white teardrop eye-ring and whitish throat.
Juvenile appearance
Young resemble the drab, cryptically colored female; both sexes show the white-bordered blue-green speculum.
Breeding vs non-breeding
Breeding drakes are brilliantly colored; in eclipse plumage males become duller and more female-like (retaining the red eye and bill) before returning to breeding dress.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Wood Duck is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Wood Duck is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) is a species of bird in the Anatidae family, part of the order Anseriformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA widespread.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 658 g, with a wing length of about 22.1 cm and a tail of around 10.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Wood Duck?
The Wood Duck is a large bird that weighs around 658 g.
Where does the Wood Duck live?
The Wood Duck is found across North America with a range covering NA widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Wood Duck belong to?
The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) belongs to the Anatidae family, in the order Anseriformes.
What does the Wood Duck eat?
The Wood Duck is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Wood Duck migrate?
The Wood Duck is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Wood Duck endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Wood Duck make?
1 real field recording of the Wood Duck — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Wood Duck's range?
The Wood Duck has a mapped global range of about 6.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
How to Attract Wood Duck to Your Yard
How to attract Wood Duck to your yard — the habitat, water and plantings that bring them in (they aren't a seed-feeder bird), plus nesting help.