Wood Ducks, males
Aix sponsa
Wood Duck · Prospect Park · 23 May 2026

Three drake Wood Ducks in full breeding plumage on Prospect Park Lake, among the most ornately patterned ducks in North America and birds of wooded water across the continent. The park's lake, with old trees at the edge, is exactly what they need.
Wood Ducks nest in tree cavities, sometimes well away from water, and the ducklings - unable to fly and with no way down except to jump - simply do exactly that within a day of hatching, bouncing off the ground or water below largely unharmed thanks to their light weight.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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