Wood Ducks are medium-sized perching ducks celebrated for the male’s ornate iridescent chestnut and green plumage and the female’s graceful white eye-ring and crest; both sexes nest in tree cavities or nest boxes along wooded swamps and riparian corridors, using strong claws to perch and climb. In Arizona, they’re classified as breeding but rare, with confirmed nesting limited to a few riparian woodlands in the southeastern part of the state, while small numbers are more regularly seen during migration and winter at ponds, marshes, and vegetated wetlands statewide. These ducks feed primarily by dabbling on seeds, fruits, and aquatic invertebrates—supplementing their diet with insects during the breeding season.
