Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
- FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
- GenusAix (Wood and Mandarin Ducks)
- SpeciesAix sponsa (Wood Duck)
About the Wood Duck
The wood duck or Carolina duck (Aix sponsa) is a partially migratory species of perching duck found in North America. The male is one of the most colorful North American waterfowls. The wood duck was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Anas sponsa. Linnaeus based his account on the "summer duck" from Carolina that had been described and illustrated by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in the first volume of his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands that was published between 1729 and 1731. Linnaeus specified the type locality as North America but this has been restricted to Carolina following Catesby. The wood duck is now placed together with the mandarin duck in the genus Aix that was introduced in 1828 by the German naturalist Friedrich Boie. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. The genus name is an Ancient Greek word for an unidentified diving bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific epithet sponsa is Latin meaning "bride" (from spodere meaning "pledge").
The wood duck is a medium-sized perching duck.... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Wood Duck in Wadden Sea National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Wadden Sea National Park
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulata
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Greylag Goose
Anser anser
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadorna
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsis
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelope
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
Common Eider
Somateria mollissima
Common Teal
Anas crecca
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 9 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 14 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 15 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 16 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 18 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Wood Duck in Wadden Sea National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wood Duck sighting in Wadden Sea National Park, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Wood Duck in Wadden Sea National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Wood Duck in Wadden Sea National Park in our monthly data.