Wood Duck, male
Aix sponsa
Wood Duck · San Diego · 6 March 2026
A drake Wood Duck on a Californian pond in March, the most ornately patterned duck in North America and a bird of wooded swamps and slow rivers from coast to coast. The western population is resident; the eastern one moves south for the winter.
It is hard to argue with the name looking at this much iridescent green and maroon packed onto one small bird. The red eye and red-based bill are adult male features year-round; the white throat markings that sweep up around the face are what separate this species from every other North American duck at a glance.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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