ABOUT THE WOOD DUCK AND CWA'S INVOLVEMENT

The wood duck (Aix sponsa) is the only native North American member of the perching duck tribe Cairinini. Wood duck drakes are showy and colorful, and the hens, unlike most female ducks, also have an iridescent shine to the feathers of their head and body. Two distinct populations of wood ducks exist in North America: an extensive eastern population, and a population with a smaller range in the west. Both populations inhabit areas of wooded streams and ponds, and historically nested in cavities in large trees. The eastern population has been well-studied and abundant information on population status, habitat requirements, migration, nesting biology, and predator relationships exists. Until recently, the western population remained largely unstudied.



Historical wood duck abundance in the Pacific Flyway is unknown, but near the turn of the century, loss of wetland and forested riparian habitat may have pushed the wood duck to near-extinction. The species was given federal protection in 1918, but wetland loss continued unabated until the late 1950s. It has been estimated that up to 90% of wood duck nesting habitat has disappeared since the early 1900’s.

Loss of natural cavities has limited the growth and expansion of wood duck populations in most of their range. However, wood ducks occupy a wide array of habitat types, from freshwater wetlands to tidal marshes, at elevations from below sea level to 5,200 feet. Wood ducks readily nest in a variety of cavities, including man-made nest boxes. Well-managed nest box programs have led to rapid increases in local wood duck numbers in both the eastern and western populations.

In 1991, the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) initiated the California Wood Duck Program (CWDP). The CWDP recruits volunteers to install, monitor and collect nesting information from nest boxes. Volunteers are trained and assisted by staff biologists, other volunteers, and CWA interns.

The CWDP is a successful program in which volunteers maintain and record data from thousands of nest boxes throughout the state. A strong organizational system has been developed over a period of years to coordinate volunteer efforts and promote volunteer involvement. Currently, over 500 volunteers maintain and monitor over 5,000 nest boxes throughout the state. Since 1991, over 474,000 wood duck ducklings have hatched from nest boxes enrolled in this program.

The CWDP also strives to introduce new people to wood ducks, wetlands, and the conservation issues surrounding them. Volunteers gain rewarding educational experiences, and in their enthusiasm, pass these experiences on to others. In this informal way a large sector of the public comes in contact with the CWDP and its goals. Outreach activities include formal talks, slide shows and displays focusing on wood ducks and riparian habitat conservation.