Birds of North America
Puzzle 54 · Marshes and Fresh Water · Page 78 in print
Wood Duck
Wood Duck nest cavities average about 2 feet deep, but some are much deeper. Ducklings use their clawed feet to climb toward the entrance.
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Arrowhead
An emergent plant providing feeding and hiding habitat.
Beaver Ponds
Small wooded waters used by Wood Ducks.
Bottomlands
Low forested habitat where the species thrives.
Breast Down
Feathers taken by the female to line her nest.
Buttonbush
A shrub providing wetland cover.
Clawed Feet
The young use their claws to climb out of deep cavities.
Dabbling
Surface or shallow-water feeding.
Duckweed
An aquatic food plant.
Egg Dumping
A female may lay eggs in another female’s nest.
Heartwood
Decayed inner wood creates natural nesting cavities.
Isopods
Small crustaceans eaten by the ducks.
Jumping
Young leave the elevated nest by jumping from its entrance.
Pair Preening
Members of a pair may groom each other’s feathers.
Panic Grass
A seed-producing food plant.
Water Primrose
A plant included in the diet.
Sources
- Wood Duck: Life HistoryCornell Lab of Ornithology