Wood Duck

Wood Duck in Michigan

Aix sponsa

Identification. Male in breeding plumage is one of the most spectacularly patterned ducks in North America, with iridescent green head, white chin stripes, chestnut breast with white spotting, and intricate pattern on flanks. Female grayish with white eye patch.

Status in Michigan. Common breeding migrant; some winter in southern Michigan. Wood Duck is a common breeding bird in every Michigan county with suitable wooded wetland habitat. The species nests in tree cavities and readily takes to nest boxes, supporting a strong volunteer nest box program across the state. Recovery from early 20th century lows has been one of the most complete waterfowl conservation stories.

Habitat. Wooded swamps, beaver ponds, bottomland forest, slow rivers with overhanging trees.

Where to find Wood Duck. Reliable at virtually any wooded wetland from April through October. Notable concentrations at Shiawassee NWR, the AuSable River corridor, and the Huron River through Washtenaw County.

Best Michigan counties for Wood Duck. Saginaw, Washtenaw, Wayne, Monroe, Bay. Click any county above to see recent Wood Duck sightings and hotspot information.

Conservation. Stable, abundant. Cavity nest box programs are an effective ongoing management tool.

The sightings table below this section pulls live Wood Duck reports from eBird across all 83 Michigan counties, refreshed every 15 minutes. For comprehensive historical records and global range information, the eBird species profile and Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World account are the authoritative references.

Edited by Chris Izworski, Bay City, Michigan. Sightings data from eBird, updated every 15 minutes.