Usually the day after hatching, the Wood Duckling makes a giant leap of faith. The babies will go to the entrance of the tree cavity or nesting box, jump to the ground, and instinctively follow their mother’s call to the water. Wood Ducks eat mostly seeds, vegetation, and berries, but the young will also eat invertebrates. The female Wood Duck lays on average a dozen eggs and lines the nest with her own down feathers. In this photo of an adult male Wood Duck, take note of the crossed wing tips and elevated tail.
Male Wood Duck with crossed wing tips and elevated tail.
