Wood Ducks eat seeds, fruits, insects and other arthropods. When aquatic foods are unavailable they may take to dry land to eat acorns and other nuts from forests and grain from fields.
What is a wood ducks favorite food?
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.
How do you feed wild wood ducks?
Food sources of wood ducks include mast and fruit trees, insects, aquatic invertebrates (mollusks, snails, etc.), aquatic plants and seeds. Wood ducks will feed on land considerable distances from open water. *Provide a medium for aquatic invertebrates.
What is the best food for Ducks?
DO: Feed ducks cracked corn, oats, rice, birdseed, frozen peas, chopped lettuce, or sliced grapes. These foods are similar to natural foods ducks will forage for on their own.
What direction should a wood duck box face?
- Mount the box so that it leans forward slightly to shed rain.
- Boxes can be installed on posts or poles in the water, at least 3 feet above the high water mark, facing south or west.
- If installing on land, choose a site within 100 feet from the water with no branches around the entrance hole.
Do mallards and wood ducks get along?
The Wood Duck stuck out from the larger Mallards, but seemed comfortable within the flock. The Mallards, likewise, seemed to have no problem with the Wood Duck. Wood Ducks and Mallards sometime cross breed and have hybrid Mallard X Wood Duck offspring.
Are wood ducks illegal to own?
It is illegal to own a wood duck as a pet. They are a protected species, and you cannot harm, harass, or keep them without special federal and state permits.
Can you raise wood ducks?
They must be provided with quiet, secure surroundings and have the right diet presented to them properly. Wood ducklings should never have unlimited access to water for bathing until they go outside and are waterproofed. Wood ducklings of similar ages may be housed together but should be close in age.