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The Wood Duck and it’s conservation By Matt Maguet. History of the Wood Duck. Many consder the wood duck to be North America’s most colorful waterfowl. Today the wood duck is one of the most common waterfowl in the United Sates. This was not always the case.
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History of the Wood Duck • Many consder the wood duck to be North America’s most colorful waterfowl. • Today the wood duck is one of the most common waterfowl in the United Sates. • This was not always the case. • In the early 19th century, they were very abundant and were taken for their meat and feathers. • In the late 1880’s, unregulated hunting and the destruction of woodland and wetland habitat caused the wood duck population to decline rapidly.
History of the Wood Duck • They were rare to see by the beginning of the 20th century and on their way to extinction. • The wood duck was able to recover due to the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act which stopped the hunting of the wood duck nation wide and then was re-opened for hunting in 1941.
Classification • Kingdom: Animalia • Phylum: Chordata • Class: Aves • Order: Anseriformes • Family: Anatidae • Subfamily: Anatinae • Tribe: Cairinini • Genus: Aix • Species: Aix sponsa
Description • Length: 19-21 in • Wingspan: 26-29 in • Weight: 16-30 ounces - medium-sized duck
Description • Male (breeding) Plumage (Fall to early summer) • Red bill • Red eye • Green head • White stripes on face and crest with large white throat patch • Dark reddish breast • White belly • Iridescent dark green-blue back and wings • Golden flanks
Description • Male Plumage (non-breeding) • Male is gray like the female • Has red eye • Has red beak • Distinctive white patch
Description • Female • Gray bill • White teardrop shaped patch around eye • White throat • Gray-brown head and neck • Gray-brown breast and white belly • Dark brown back
Food Source • Wood Ducks are omnivores • Nuts • Fruits • Aquatic plants • Seeds • Aquatic insects • Other invertebrates (e.g. snails and slugs)
Habitat • Woodland areas along • Lakes • Rivers • Creeks • Beaver and farm ponds • Other freshwater vegetated wetland areas
Reproduction • The wood Duck breeds in Feb. and early March • Two broods are produced in southern areas • Copulation occurs in the water
Copualation • Step 1
Nest and Clutch • Wood Ducks nest in tree cavities • 6-15 eggs per clutch • Nests are lined with wood chips and down • Eggs incubate for about 30 days • Ducklings hatch 6 to 18 hours after their shell is cracked. • Leave nest within 24 hours
Lifespan/Longevity • Average life span is three to four years • Around 85 % of chicks die within the first two weeks of hatching due to mainly predation. • Known predators are… • Red and Gray foxes • Raccoons • Alligators • Rat and Black snakes
Harvest • Wood Ducks make up around 10% of yearly duck harvest in the U.S. • 2nd to Mallards • In 2000 and 2001 1 to 1.3 million wood ducks were harvested.
Conservation of the Wood Duck • Conservation status is (lc) Lower risk • Estimated population is around 2 million although it is hard to estimate.
Conservation Measures • Daily Bag limit • Limit is 2 in KY. • Two in most of other states • Wood Duck Nest Boxes • Estimated 300,000 nest boxes produce 100,000 ducklings annually • Can increase populations in areas where the female has a hard time finding a nest. • Can also help the survival of ducklings • Private landowners helped re-populate by putting up nest boxes.
Nest box design • Nest boxes should be made of weather resistant wood such as cedar or cypress. • The entrance hole should be 4 inches in diameter. • A 3 inch wide strip of ¼ -inch mesh hardware cloth should be fastened to the inside of the box under the entrance to be a ladder for the hen and the new ducklings. • The cut edges of the cloth should be folded back to avoid injury to the ducklings. • Saw dust should be put in the bottom for nesting material. • One side of the box should be removable for cleaning. • It should be fitted with a galvanized sheet metal predator guard.
Wood Duck Management • Food • Plant and preserve trees, shrubs, and herbaceous food. • Establish shallow water areas and artificial wetlands. • Supply winter water on cropland and woodland. • Nesting Cover • Provide nesting boxes near wetlands. • Preserve old growth timber conducive to tree cavities.
Mangement • Brood-rearing cover • Restore hydrology on drained forested wetland • Restore hydrology and vegetation on drained and cropped wetland. • Put vegetation near streams • Water • Establish bottomland hardwood
Facts • The ducklings jump to the ground out of the nest as their mother calls them. • She does not help in any way • They can jump close to 300 feet without getting hurt. • The wood duck is the only North American Duck that regularly produces two broods in a year.
Kentucky Wood Duck Hunting Season • Season Dates: September 21-25 • Daily limit: 2 • Possession limit: 4
How much wood could a wood duck chuck if a wood duck could chuck wood?