While exploring a nearby National Park, many birds were observed calling, making nests, bonding and getting ready to produce offspring – or already raising them. One of these is the Wood Duck – perhaps the most colorful of North American waterfowl.
Reverence for their appearance goes all the way back to prehistoric Indians who regularly featured them on bowls and pipes. The adult male has distinctive multicoloured iridescent plumage and red eyes, with a white flare down the neck. The female is less colourful and has a white eye-ring. Both males and females have crested heads.
These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark, allowing them to perch on branches.
After hatching, the ducklings jump down from the nest tree and make their way to water. The mother calls them to her, but does not help them. The ducklings may jump from heights of up to 300 feet without injury.
We often think of colorful birds with exotic lifestyles as living in far away places, but we have some very interesting species here in northeast Ohio.