The Wood Duck and it’s conservation By Matt Maguet

1. The Wood Duckand it’s conservation By Matt Maguet

2. History of the Wood Duck • Many consder the wood duck to be North America’s most colorful waterfowl. • Today the wood duck is one of the most common waterfowl in the United Sates. • This was not always the case. • In the early 19th century, they were very abundant and were taken for their meat and feathers. • In the late 1880’s, unregulated hunting and the destruction of woodland and wetland habitat caused the wood duck population to decline rapidly.

3. History of the Wood Duck • They were rare to see by the beginning of the 20th century and on their way to extinction. • The wood duck was able to recover due to the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act which stopped the hunting of the wood duck nation wide and then was re-opened for hunting in 1941.

4. Classification • Kingdom: Animalia • Phylum: Chordata • Class: Aves • Order: Anseriformes • Family: Anatidae • Subfamily: Anatinae • Tribe: Cairinini • Genus: Aix • Species: Aix sponsa

5. Description • Length: 19-21 in • Wingspan: 26-29 in • Weight: 16-30 ounces - medium-sized duck

6. Description • Male (breeding) Plumage (Fall to early summer) • Red bill • Red eye • Green head • White stripes on face and crest with large white throat patch • Dark reddish breast • White belly • Iridescent dark green-blue back and wings • Golden flanks

8. Description • Male Plumage (non-breeding) • Male is gray like the female • Has red eye • Has red beak • Distinctive white patch

9. Description • Female • Gray bill • White teardrop shaped patch around eye • White throat • Gray-brown head and neck • Gray-brown breast and white belly • Dark brown back

10. Food Source • Wood Ducks are omnivores • Nuts • Fruits • Aquatic plants • Seeds • Aquatic insects • Other invertebrates (e.g. snails and slugs)

11. Habitat • Woodland areas along • Lakes • Rivers • Creeks • Beaver and farm ponds • Other freshwater vegetated wetland areas

12. Range

13. Reproduction • The wood Duck breeds in Feb. and early March • Two broods are produced in southern areas • Copulation occurs in the water

14. Copualation • Step 1

15. Step 2

16. Step 3

17. Step 4

18. Nest and Clutch • Wood Ducks nest in tree cavities • 6-15 eggs per clutch • Nests are lined with wood chips and down • Eggs incubate for about 30 days • Ducklings hatch 6 to 18 hours after their shell is cracked. • Leave nest within 24 hours

19. Lifespan/Longevity • Average life span is three to four years • Around 85 % of chicks die within the first two weeks of hatching due to mainly predation. • Known predators are… • Red and Gray foxes • Raccoons • Alligators • Rat and Black snakes

20. Harvest • Wood Ducks make up around 10% of yearly duck harvest in the U.S. • 2nd to Mallards • In 2000 and 2001 1 to 1.3 million wood ducks were harvested.

21. Conservation of the Wood Duck • Conservation status is (lc) Lower risk • Estimated population is around 2 million although it is hard to estimate.

22. Conservation Measures • Daily Bag limit • Limit is 2 in KY. • Two in most of other states • Wood Duck Nest Boxes • Estimated 300,000 nest boxes produce 100,000 ducklings annually • Can increase populations in areas where the female has a hard time finding a nest. • Can also help the survival of ducklings • Private landowners helped re-populate by putting up nest boxes.

24. Nest box design • Nest boxes should be made of weather resistant wood such as cedar or cypress. • The entrance hole should be 4 inches in diameter. • A 3 inch wide strip of ¼ -inch mesh hardware cloth should be fastened to the inside of the box under the entrance to be a ladder for the hen and the new ducklings. • The cut edges of the cloth should be folded back to avoid injury to the ducklings. • Saw dust should be put in the bottom for nesting material. • One side of the box should be removable for cleaning. • It should be fitted with a galvanized sheet metal predator guard.

25. Nest box design

26. Wood Duck Management • Food • Plant and preserve trees, shrubs, and herbaceous food. • Establish shallow water areas and artificial wetlands. • Supply winter water on cropland and woodland. • Nesting Cover • Provide nesting boxes near wetlands. • Preserve old growth timber conducive to tree cavities.

27. Mangement • Brood-rearing cover • Restore hydrology on drained forested wetland • Restore hydrology and vegetation on drained and cropped wetland. • Put vegetation near streams • Water • Establish bottomland hardwood

28. Facts • The ducklings jump to the ground out of the nest as their mother calls them. • She does not help in any way • They can jump close to 300 feet without getting hurt. • The wood duck is the only North American Duck that regularly produces two broods in a year.

29. Kentucky Wood Duck Hunting Season • Season Dates: September 21-25 • Daily limit: 2 • Possession limit: 4

30. How much wood could a wood duck chuck if a wood duck could chuck wood?