Common Name: Wood Duck Scientific Name: Aix sponsa Photographer: Calvin J. Hamilton Copyright: © 2004 Calvin J. Hamilton Date: 2004/09/25 Location: National Zoo, Washington D.C.

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The wood duck is considered by many bird watchers to be North America's most colorful waterfowl species. Its scientific name, Aix sponsa, translates into "waterbird in bridal dress." Today the wood duck is one of the most common waterfowl species breeding in the United States.

Wood ducks nest in woodland areas along lakes, rivers, and vegetated wetland areas. During the winter months, wood ducks inhabit bottomland hardwood wetlands, beaver ponds and flowages, river oxbows, meanders and backwaters, and other inland freshwater forested wetland areas. Habitat areas chosen by wood ducks are commonly used by other waterfowl species such as black ducks, hooded mergansers, and ring-necked ducks.