Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Wood Duck

One of the most colorful ducks that we see here in Minnesota is the wood duck. Actually it is only the male wood duck that is colorful. As with many other species of ducks the female is much less flamboyant then the male. One of the interesting thing about wood ducks is that they are cavity nesters. While most ducks nest on the ground the wood duck will nest in a tree cavity or nesting box, usually close to the water. This can sometimes be a challenge for the young ducks that leave the nest usually only a day after being born and often have to take a big leap to get down from the nest.



6 comments:

Jan n Jer said...

Stunning colors...so vivid! Great shot!

Janet said...

What a beauty!

Powell River Books said...

So perfect it almost looks like a painted decoy. - Margy

Margaret said...

Yes, they almost don't look real. Such detail in the feathers...

Faye said...

Such striking markings and colors for these water fowl. I didn't know about their nesting habits--talk about a leap of faith! :-)

Jane Hards Photography said...

Love wood ducks, beautiful colourings, unfortunately the net is as close as I get to seeing them