It’s laborious to mistake a Wooden Duck within the wild. From the kaleidoscopic male’s iridescent inexperienced crest and complicated markings to the feminine’s distinctive white eye patch, these birds are a few of our most stunning native waterfowl and all the time a deal with to see. The truth is, their scientific title, Aix sponsa, loosely interprets to “bridal duck,” because the species—the male, notably—is so nicely appointed that it seems dressed for a marriage. Such putting attractiveness have lengthy made Wooden Geese a favourite of birders and a supply of inspiration for artists and wooden carvers.
Luckily, these attractive birds are pretty simple to see all through a lot of america and southern Canada. They stay year-round alongside a lot of the Pacific Coast and within the Southern United States, and in the summertime they are often discovered throughout the Jap United States, Midwest, and Northwest. Northern migratory populations winter within the southern United States and in northern Mexico, the place women and men pair up prematurely of their return north every spring. Dive into the enjoyable information beneath to study extra about this really beautiful species.
1.) Wooden Geese owe their widespread title to the truth that they’re one of many few waterfowl species that perch and nest in timber. Sharp nails on their webbed toes enable them to stability on branches and maneuver into tree cavities that they use for nesting.
2.) In some areas, the Wooden Duck is also referred to as a Swamp Duck as a consequence of its choice for bottomland hardwood forests and swampy or marshy habitats with old-growth timber. One other nickname for the species is Squealer Duck, a reference to the toy-like squeaks heard in each the male and female’s calls.
3.) Wooden Geese choose to nest in tree hollows, created both by Pileated Woodpeckers or, extra typically, the results of fallen tree branches. As a consequence of wetland loss and competitors from different species, pure tree hollows are becoming scarce, however Wooden Geese have fortunately used picket nest packing containers since they have been first deployed within the Thirties to extend breeding success.
4.) The morning after hatching, ducklings take their first large plunge in life—by way of the air. Responding to calls from the mom duck, the chicks leap from nests as high as 50 feet above the bottom or water. How do they survive? Downy feathers, pliable bones, and leaf litter present the required cushion when not touchdown in water. (We extremely advocate watching some movies of jumping and bouncing chicks for reference.)
5.) To extend their odds of nesting success, feminine Wooden Geese are the one North American waterfowl that often increase two broods in a single 12 months, typically returning to the same nesting site to take action. Relying on how lengthy the breeding season is of their dwelling vary, females sometimes lay their first clutch of eggs in late February by way of April and generally one other clutch round Might. Brood sizes range from 6 to 16 eggs.
6.) Whereas feminine Wooden Geese incubate most of their eggs themselves, in addition they dump some into neighboring nests, a observe often known as brood parasitism. Scientists imagine this to be one other survival adaptation to maximise the probabilities of profitable hatchings, and the conduct is extra widespread when many appropriate nests are in shut proximity.
7.) Within the fall and winter, grownup Wooden Geese gorge on acorns as a consequence of their excessive fats content material. In hotter months, mature geese favor seeds and aquatic vegetation like duckweed, watermeal, and smartweed, which thrive within the slow-moving waters of their habitats. Ducklings feed completely on protein-rich bugs and small invertebrates to gasoline their growth.
8.) The white teardrop sample round a feminine Wooden Duck’s eye is greater than a chic area mark: Researchers imagine that the scale of this eye patch signals age and reproductive potential for would-be mates. Older hens exhibit bigger eye patches related to decreased health and fertility.
9.) Wooden Geese are constructed to navigate the tight quarters of their most well-liked swampy habitat: A protracted, extensive tail and highly effective, broad wings enable them to nimbly fly by way of timber and branches, whereas their comparatively massive eyes soak up extra gentle—helpful for seeing beneath shaded situations of dense forests.
10.) Within the early 1900s, Wooden Geese have been feared to be on the verge of extinction because of habitat loss and intense searching. An artificial nest box program launched by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and laws just like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Duck Stamp Act helped the birds start to get better. The Wooden Duck stays the second hottest searching duck after the Mallard, however stronger protections for wetland ecosystems, like people who led to the formation of the Nationwide Wildlife Refuge System, have been important to the thriving Wooden Duck inhabitants we see at present.
