Wood Duck, male, on a broken trunk
Aix sponsa
Wood Duck · San Diego · 6 March 2026
A drake Wood Duck resting on a broken trunk angled into the sun beside a San Diego pond in March, and he stayed long enough for the light and the reflection to be worked properly. Wood Ducks are birds of wooded water across the continent, and the western ones are resident all year.
They are the one North American duck that perches in trees as a matter of course - the claws are sharp enough to grip bark - and they nest in holes well above the ground, which is where the ducklings begin life with a jump.
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