Female Wood Ducks (Identification Guide with Pictures)

While the striking male wood duck is one of the most distinctive water birds in the United States, the same is not true of the female wood duck, whose gray-brown plumage is less dramatic. But aside from the obvious differences in appearance, are there other key differences in behavior and habits between male and female wood ducks?

The female wood duck lacks the dramatic colored plumage seen on breeding males, grey-brown plumage, dark brown eyes, and light gray beak, instead of the rich chestnut-brown plumage, metallic purple-green head, and scarlet beak and iris flower.

However, female and male wood ducks do share a similar distinctive shape, with tail feathers on the back of the head, a long, broad tail, and broad wings in both sexes. Male and female wood ducks have different roles when it comes to hatching ducklings and raising ducklings.

Female wood duck (Aix sponsa), also known as the Carolina duck, with her chicks

Females incubate eggs alone, while males initially stay near the nest to protect from predators, then withdraw and migrate to different locations as they undergo plumage changes. Even male and female wood ducks use different calls that are easily distinguished by a trained ear.

Here we explore these key differences in appearance and behavior in more detail, so read on for our complete guide to the female wood duck to learn more.

How do you know if a wood duck is male or female?

Male wood ducks are known for their fine and colorful markings, especially their scarlet eyes, glossy purple-green head, and red beak with yellow undertones. These are their breeding feathers, which they use to attract mates. Once this is done, the delicate plumage is replaced by the so-called softer eclipse plumage in late summer.

The male wood ducks of eclipse plumage somewhat resemble the coloration of the females, although their red eyes and beaks have not lost their color, so these characteristics are still useful guides for distinguishing sexes.

The female wood duck, by contrast, is less conspicuous in appearance, with a taupe body dotted with white spots, dark blue wing spots and white rings around the eyes.

Young male woodducks may initially be mistaken for females because of their light brown plumage. On closer inspection, however, their reddened eyes and colored beaks are a definitive identifier.

female wood duck

male wood duck

What does a female wood duck look like?

The female wood duck is grayish brown. Their most notable features include a crest of feathers on the back of their head, and a patch of white feathers around their chin and throat. The female wood duck has a gray head with white teardrop-shaped rings around the dark brown eyes.

Their backs are a darker gray-brown, while their sides are slightly lighter with white spots. The female wood duck has dark blue-purple speculum on the wings, with white feathers at the tip, which are clearly visible in flight.

Close up of a female wood duck standing on a log

Are female wood ducks bigger than males?

Male and female wood ducks are roughly the same size, about 48 cm (19 in) long, with wingspans ranging from 71 to 99 cm (28 to 39 in), although males may be slightly larger and heavier.

Other Differences Between Male and Female Wood Ducks

In some ways, male and female wood ducks behave similarly, typical of small teals, foraging, and how quickly they walk, swim, and fly. However, there are some notable differences in the behavior of the sexes, notably the vocalizations of females and males, and the roles each plays in courtship, nest building and raising young.

Male (left) and female (right) wood ducks swimming together

sing and call

Adult wood ducks have 12 different communication calls, while ducklings have 5 different calls. Female wood ducks have a much wider range of vocalizations than males, including siren calls to warn of predators, calls to call ducklings, screeching mating whistles, and loud “oo-eek, oo-eek” hauk calls before flight, This is also used to locate their mates. Males tend to be quieter, making low, squeaky “jweeb” whistles and “jibjibjib” calls before nesting.

courtship

Male wood ducks use their delicate, colorful plumage to attract females, and a suitably impressed female responds with distinctive courtship calls. The choice of mate is ultimately made by the female, and the pair remains monogamous during one breeding season before choosing a new mate the following year.

Female wood ducks are notoriously non-aggressive, unlike male wood ducks, who are very protective of their mates.

Female wood duck standing on the ground

nesting

The female wood duck is responsible for choosing a nesting site, usually a hole or hollow in the trunk of a tree. They may revisit the same location for future broods in subsequent years, even with different mates. Artificial nest boxes can also be used if available. Wood ducks have sharp claws that allow them to climb trees to find a safe spot before egg laying and hatching begin.

The female prepares her chosen nesting site and lines it with feathers plucked from her breast. Incubation is performed by the female wood duck only and lasts 27 to 32 days. During this time, the females briefly leave the eggs unattended each morning as they forage for food. During the early stages of nesting, the male waits on the ground near the nesting site for protection from predators.

Females may lay eggs in the nests of other wood ducks nearby, a phenomenon known as egg dumping. This practice is an adaptation that maximizes the potential survival of broods whose females may end up raising extended broods that contain eggs from other birds.

A pair of wood ducks nesting in spring

Childcare

By the time the eggs hatch, the male wood ducks are no more, having migrated to a different location, molting into their softer, non-breeding plumage. About 24 hours after the ducklings hatch, the mother flies from the nesting ground to the ground, and the wood ducklings, one by one, emerge from the nest and crawl to the ground below without any assistance.

Female wood ducks have a special call that they use to call their ducklings, to which the young ducks respond instinctively.

What do female wood ducks eat?

The diet of both male and female wood ducks is generally similar to that of most teals, consisting mainly of seeds, fruit, invertebrates, and aquatic insects. Acorns are especially popular and can be swallowed whole. Before building a nest, females seek out protein- and calcium-rich foods, such as insects and invertebrates, to help lay eggs.

A pair of wood ducks in flight

Can a female wood duck raise her pups alone?

Female wood ducks incubate their eggs alone and care for their ducklings for the first 5 to 6 weeks. Although wood duck ducklings begin foraging on their own within the first 24 hours of leaving the nest, the mother remains a close protector, on high alert for predators, guiding her young to safe refuge each night.

During this time, males are absent as they have migrated to a different location while they undergo molting into non-breeding (eclipse) plumage. Young wood ducks can become independent by 8 to 10 weeks of age.

Do female wood ducks have red eyes?

The eyes of the female wood duck are dark brown, in contrast to the bright red irises of the male wood duck. Juvenile male wood ducks may look similar to adult female wood ducks from a distance, with similar gray-brown plumage, but they can be quickly distinguished because the eyes of juvenile males begin to turn red after 60 days, which is unique to adult males .

Female wood duck perched on a log

Are there other birds that look similar to the female wood duck?

Female wood ducks and female mandarin ducks look very similar, and it’s easy to see why confusion can arise when distinguishing between the two species. Wood ducks are usually slightly larger than mandarins and have less prominent white markings on their sides.

The heads of female wood ducks are a darker gray than those of female citrus, and their white eye patches are noticeably larger. Female tangerines also lack the blue wing feathers found on female wood ducks.