Diet
What do wood ducks eat?
Seeds, acorns and aquatic insects from shallow water.
Ducks and geese (Anatidae)Wood DuckAix sponsa
Spring and summer diet
- Aquatic insects, duckweed and smartweed seed
Fall and winter diet
- Acorns, corn and waste grain
Best feeder foods
- Cracked corn (on water margins)
- Millet
Nests in tree holes and boxes near wooded water; ducklings leap from the nest cavity on their first morning.
Where wood ducks need winter food
Regions where wood ducks are present in the cold months:
AlabamaArkansasCaliforniaConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriNebraskaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaQuebecRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsin
Frequently asked
What do wood ducks eat?
Seeds, acorns and aquatic insects from shallow water.
What is the best food to feed wood ducks?
Cracked corn (on water margins), Millet.
What do wood ducks eat in winter?
Acorns, corn and waste grain.
Sources
- Wood Duck — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Wood Duck life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Wood Duck — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.