# Wood Duck

*Aix sponsa*

One-day-old ducklings must jump from nesting cavities up to 50 feet high to reach the ground, bouncing unharmed before following their mother to water.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Anseriformes › Anatidae › Aix
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Wooded swamps, marshes, beaver ponds, and lakes with overhanging trees.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous: acorns, seeds, fruits, and aquatic insects or small crustaceans.
- **Range:** North America, Southern Canada, United States, Mexico
- **Size:** 19-21 inches long with a 26-29 inch wingspan.
- **Lifespan:** 3-4 years on average, up to 15 years.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Loss of wetland habitat and old-growth trees with nesting cavities.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. Wood Ducks are shy and will fly away if approached. Maintain a distance of at least 30 feet to observe their natural behavior. No risk of biting or stinging; simply enjoy their plumage from afar.

## About

The wood duck or Carolina duck ( Aix sponsa ) is a species of perching duck found in North America. The drake wood duck is one of the most colorful North American waterfowl.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/85db4932-ce24-401c-8627-e61c5a4a87e2
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7107
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aix sponsa
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/75956702/medium.jpeg (Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.