Cutts Nature Photography
Two on the Move
The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) is a flamboyant and colorful species of North American waterfowl. Wood Ducks feed by dabbling and they are strong fliers and can reach speeds of 30 mph. They are one of only a few ducks that have claws on their feet, allowing them to perch and nest in trees. They tend to build their nests within one mile of a lake shore, river bank, or other body of water. Egg-dumping, or intraspecific brood parasitism is common in Wood Ducks—females visit other Wood Duck cavities, lay eggs in them, and leave them to be raised by the other female. This may have been made more common by the abundance and conspicuousness of artificial nest boxes; in some areas it happens in more than half of all nests. Individual females typically lay 10-11 eggs per clutch, but some very full nests have been found containing 29 eggs, the result of egg-dumping. Wood Duck populations increased between 1966 and 2015 according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. This is good news considering their dramatic declines in the late 19th century. This handsome pair was photographed at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.
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Two on the Move
The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) is a flamboyant and colorful species of North American waterfowl. Wood Ducks feed by dabbling and they are strong fliers and can reach speeds of 30 mph. They are one of only a few ducks that have claws on their feet, allowing them to perch and nest in trees. They tend to build their nests within one mile of a lake shore, river bank, or other body of water. Egg-dumping, or intraspecific brood parasitism is common in Wood Ducks—females visit other Wood Duck cavities, lay eggs in them, and leave them to be raised by the other female. This may have been made more common by the abundance and conspicuousness of artificial nest boxes; in some areas it happens in more than half of all nests. Individual females typically lay 10-11 eggs per clutch, but some very full nests have been found containing 29 eggs, the result of egg-dumping. Wood Duck populations increased between 1966 and 2015 according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. This is good news considering their dramatic declines in the late 19th century. This handsome pair was photographed at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.
Click on the link below to explore your options. Select from fine art prints, canvas, acrylic or metal prints for your home or office. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out on updates, sales, and new blog posts.