Wood Duck or Carolina Duck

Description:

The Wood Duck is a medium-sized perching duck. The adult male has distinctive multicoloured iridescent plumage and red eyes,with a distinctive white flare down the neck. The female, less colourful, has a white eye-ring and a whitish throat. The population of the Wood Duck was in serious decline in the late 19th century as a result of severe habitat loss and market hunting both for meat and plumage for the ladies' hat market in Europe. The population of the Wood Duck has increased a great deal in the last several years due to the work of many people constructing Wood Duck boxes and conserving vital habitat for the Wood Ducks to breed .