Don’t you just love this duck’s hair-do. Nothing like a little flip in the back, but, I must admit, the Wood Duck looks like it is wearing a helmet on its head. Small, stocky, and compact, Wood Ducks are perching ducks that nest in tree cavities or in nesting boxes near lakes, streams, marshes, and wooded swamps. Unlike most waterfowl, which have webbed feet, Wood Ducks have clawed feet to help them get a good grip in the trees. The closest relative of the North American Wood Duck is actually the Eastern Asian Mandarin Duck, another bird with brilliant coloring.
Wood Duck photo taken on Saco Lake in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire.
