|
|
Search
for products for sale only! | |
|
|
Click on any product image to see
larger image of product.
 |
Bookmark - Add us to your
Favorites |
Wood Duck - Habitat Requirements
Wood Duck
(Aix sponsa)
Habitat Requirements
GeneralWood ducks nest in woodland areas
along lakes, rivers, and vegetated wetland areas. During the winter months, wood
ducks inhabit bottomland hardwood wetlands, beaver ponds and flowages, river
oxbows, meanders and backwaters, and other inland freshwater forested wetland
areas. Habitat areas chosen by wood ducks are commonly used by other waterfowl
species such as black ducks, hooded mergansers, and ring-necked ducks.
High-quality wood duck habitat is intricately linked to preservation and
management of old growth timber along river corridors and availability of
nesting sites. Although wood duck populations have recovered, the largest threat
to their future is the continued loss of habitat. By protecting and restoring
floodplain timber, river oxbows and meanders, and other freshwater wetland and
riparian habitats, landowners can assist in the continued success of wood ducks
and other migratory waterfowl species that rely on similar habitats.
Food
Food for young birds and adults differs dramatically. The early diet of
ducklings consists largely of insects, aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and
other high-protein animal material. After six weeks of age, the young switch to
plant foods until their diet consists of approximately 90 percent vegetative
material, primarily aquatic plants such as algae, watermeal, watershield, sago
pondweed, and duckweed. Adult wood ducks feed on a variety of nuts and fruits,
aquatic plants and seeds, and aquatic insects and other invertebrates. Insects
and aquatic invertebrates are particularly important food items of adult hens
during egg laying in spring. Acorns and other forest mast are important fall and
winter foods. While acorns are the primary winter foods, the seeds of bald
cypress, hickory, sweet gum, buttonbush, arrow-arum, bur-reed, and wild rice are
also common winter foods. Wood ducks feed primarily in shallow water areas, but
will also forage on the forest floor for seeds, acorns, and nuts.
Important wood duck food plants. The following species are known to be
important food items in the diet of wood ducks. Those species in bold print are
of particular value for their usefulness as a winter food source.
oak (acorns) hickory (nuts) elm bald cypress beech (nuts) sweet gum
ash button bush maple blackgum bur-reed rice cutgrass
arrow-arum wild rice sedge smartweeds barnyard grass nightshade
cowlily beggarticks duckweed grape St. John's-wort panic grasses
bulrush pondweed watershield waterlily
These species may be used to enhance vegetation which already exists
in and around woodland areas and aquatic habitats. Adding these species to those
currently existing will enhance food availability for wood ducks.
|
Coveside Small Wood Duck House
$49.95
"Dump
nesting" occurs when a number of females lay eggs in a single house, which
sometimes results in clutches with over 70 eggs.
Mississippi State University did a study of Wood Ducks in
an effort to reduce this problem. A smaller nest box was designed and "dump
nesting" was reduced. Although fewer ducklings are fledged from each box, the
survival rate is improved and the cost per fledgling is less. This box comes
with a wire ladder and nesting chips, and the front opens for observation and
cleaning.
RANGE: Breeds from British Columbia south to
California, and from Montana east to Nova Scotia, and south to Texas and
Florida; absent from Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. Winters near Pacific
Coast north to Washington, and to New Jersey in East, rarely further
north.
HABITAT: Nests beside wooded rivers and ponds. Visits
freshwater marshes in late summer and fall.
(17"h
x 7-1/2"w x 15"d)
|
Coveside Wood Hooded Merganser Duck House
$64.95
Coveside's Wood Duck House opens two ways for
observation and cleaning, and has an internal ladder for the duckings to climb
out. Mother calls ducklings to the protection of the open
water at age one day.
RANGE: Breeds from British Columbia
south to California, and from Montana east to Nova Scotia, and south to Texas
and Florida; absent from Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. Winters near Pacific
Coast north to Washington, and to New Jersey in East, rarely further north.
HABITAT: Nests beside wooded rivers and ponds. Visits
freshwater marshes in late summer and fall.
(24-1/4"h x 11"w x 15"d)
|
Coveside Bufflehead Duck House
$47.95
The Bufflehead, with its striking white sides and
white patch on its head, is smaller than most cavity nesting
ducks.Dependent on nest boxes, this house is ideal due to the scarcity of holes
excavated by a large woodpecker or flicker.
RANGE: Breeds in Alaska east to
western Quebec, and south in mountains to Washington and Montana. Winters in
southern U.S., south to Mexico, Gulf Coast and northern Florida.
HABITAT:
Nests on wooded lakes and ponds; winters mainly on salt bays and
estuaries.
(17-3/4"h x 9-1/4"w x 11"d)
|
Coveside Common Merganser Duck House
$64.95
This
house provides a perfect nest box for mergansers that normally nest in tree
cavities. Positioning a house on a pole in the open water
provides extra protection from predators.
RANGE: Breeds
across Canada from eastern Alaska, Manitoba and Newfoundland south in mountains
to California, northern New Mexico, Great Lakes and northern New England.
Winters south to northern Mexico and Georgia; also in
Eurasia.
HABITAT: Breeds on wooded rivers and ponds; winters
mainly on lakes and rivers, occasionally on salt water.
(24-1/4"h x 11"w x 13"d)
|
Support The Registry of Nature Habitats - Buy Conservation Credits
For purchasing Conservation
Credit(s)
You will receive
a copy of the John Audubon Multimedia
CD
A replica of the complete
(1840-1844)
James Audubon's
Birds of America
You will also receieve a bluebird
house for each Conservation Credit purchased and a 20% off coupon to be used on
the A Bird's Home website!
The Registry of Nature Habitats - Mission
Statement
The Registry of Nature Habitats is
dedicated to the preservation of land that, over time, has been a
site and home for complex ecosystems. The Registry advocates
preservation of these lands and its inhabitants, environmental
education for community individuals and groups, and nurturing of
these lands through restoration in order to conserve its
natural resources for future generations.
Preserve
The Registry of Nature
Habitats manages critical habitat, consisting of wetland,
lowland, upland, forest and stream habitat, providing a home
to wildlife species and plant species. As part of
the mission to preserve these lands and its inhabitants,
the Registry will continue to contract with owners
of ecologically sensitive land as it becomes
available.
Educate
The Registry of Nature Habitats is
a "teaching ground," able to provide hands-on, interpretive learning
experiences in areas such as ecology, botany, wildlife science, and
geology, as well as the arts and humanities. The
educational mission of The Registry of Nature Habitats is
to teach an understanding and appreciaton of the environment,
the invaluable lesson of land stewardship of our natural resources,
and to expand the general knowledge of this habitat through
scientific research. This will be accomplished through a
year-round experiential, interactive approach, along
with onsite and outreach activities including providing
educational material both on this website, on media and through
educational seminars. An on-site facility is in the
design phase, which will house classrooms and an administrative
space.
Nurture
Through several restoration
projects, including the rebuilding of stream corridors,
reintroducing native flora, and permitting only low-impact
activities, the Registry is nurturing much land back to
its natural state, undoing the damage of hundreds of
years. The Registry of Nature
Habitats restoration plan, developed with public and private
partnerships and with local community support, will increase
the land's value, enhance wildlife habitat, improve water
quality, and preserve the integrity of the land's
bio-diversity. Renewable
Energy
Promote the use of
renewable and efficient energy technologies through education,
training, workforce development, research, and project facilitation.
The Registry supports clean energy development and energy
conservation as the means to protect the environment, enhance
public health, and save our nature
habitats.
Conservation
We seek to educate people and provide innovative
solutions that will help build a clean, more efficient world, by
reducing energy consumption in a prudent way that does not
threaten the natural balance that supports all
life.
|
|
Woodside Gardens
(607) 746-3089
PO Box 351
Delhi, NY
13753
More information Help
Desk
Copyright © 1997-
Woodside Gardens
Last Updated:
|
