Author Archives: Wisconsin Waterfowl Association

Wood Duck Box Placement and Maintenance

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Bruce Urben services wdhs 3.9.15By Bruce Urben, President

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s February, 2021 Volunteer Newsletter edition and was re-released in our February 2025 Newsletter.

Wood ducks are Wisconsin’s most beautiful waterfowl species. The drake is decorated with green, blue, red, purple, white and orange hues. It is hard to believe that wood ducks were almost extinct during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Habitat, hunting and minimal nesting sites were thought to be factors in their decline. Biologists helped us understand wood duck ecology and also helped us understand and assist them in providing artificial nesting devices. Wood ducks are “cavity” nesters, preferring to nest in tree cavities left by tree disease, rot, squirrels, etc. Increased mature tree harvest and tree diseases have reduced these natural nesting areas, but success has been shown in providing artificial nest boxes for these waterfowl.

Wisconsin Waterfowl Association has a supply of wood duck nesting boxes and kits available for sale in our online store here.

Wood duck pair on one of WWA’s Adopted Wildlife Areas. Photo by Mike Alaimo

Wood duck boxes need to be installed prior to the spring wood duck migration (March-April here in Wisconsin) when mating occurs. Wood ducks begin forming pairs at their wintering grounds in January. Wood ducks are like most duck species, they do not mate with the same mate for life. Wood duck hens generally do, however, return to their initial nesting area where they were hatched year after year.

Wood duck breeding habitat is wooded swamps, shallow lakes, marshes or ponds and creeks. Female wood ducks will lay 10-13 white-tan eggs that she will incubate for 28-30 days. The female will lay about one egg per day and cover each egg with wood chips and breast down. She is only in the box at this time to lay her egg and then return to open water with her mate. Once her clutch is laid, she will begin “full time” incubation, leaving the nest only several times a day in the morning and afternoon for up to 30 minutes. At this time her mate has moved to another secluded location to begin his molting process.

One way to gauge the timeline to hatch once you see a full clutch of eggs (10-13) is to begin to count forward on the calendar about 28 days. Take care to only open the nest box when the hen has left to observe and count the egg clutch so as to not cause her to abandon the nest. Hatch success is based on a number of factors including predation of the eggs, infertile eggs, death of the hen, etc.

Studies show that chick survival to flight is between 30-40% in nesting boxes.

A “used” wood duck box at Paradise Valley Wildlife Area

What can you do to help nesting wood ducks? First, be sure nesting boxes are placed in prime wetland nesting areas. Utilize a well designed and constructed box and use a predator guard on the mounting post to deter predators like snakes, raccoons, mink, etc.. Be sure your boxes are cleaned each year prior to nesting (February-March in Wisconsin is a good time for cleaning). Remove all of the old nesting material, mouse nests, bird nests and other foreign objects and replace with fresh, clean wood chips. Cedar chips are a preferred nesting material.

If you are persistent, you should see nesting in a new wood duck box if properly placed and maintained within one to two years. And… the hen or one of her offspring will usually return each spring.

There is no better feeling than to be able to see the chick jump from a wood duck box you installed and maintained. One great wonder of nature!

Here are some interesting facts about wood ducks:

  • The wood duck is also known as the Carolina duck.
  • Wood ducks have sharp claws on their webbed feet for perching in trees.
  • Female wood ducks will often lay their eggs in another wood duck’s nest leaving offspring to be raised by another.
  • Male wood ducks will court females by swimming before them with their wings and tail elevated.
  • Wood ducks can fly at speeds up to 30 miles per hour and have a wing span of 26-30 inches.
  • Wood ducks live an average of four years in the wild.

Check out this video I took a few years ago of a wood duck “jump day”:

 

WWA’s 2013 Habitat Program In Review

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We are very proud to present an overview of the hundreds of acres of wetland and upland habitat restored by the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association in 2013.

Please click here to view the slideshow of our 2013 habitat program overview

swamp

It’s important for everyone to understand the impact and relevance our work has on a broader landscape. The work WWA does, which you, as members, financially support, pays huge dividends to not only water quality but also to the wildlife habitat these wetlands support. Take a few minutes and see how these past projects which have positively impacted a wide and diverse set of goals. Wetlands play an integral role in the ecosystem far beyond waterfowl, which is why WWA has developed and implemented an ecosystem based approach to its wetland restoration projects. Working throughout the state for 30 years, we have appreciated partnering and working with over 50 other organizations to create viable restorations on thousands of acres of wetlands, streams and prairies. All three of these landscape types play an important role when you look at a project on the ecosystem scale.

WWA has been fortunate to implement many of its ecosystem based restoration projects where they directly benefit area watersheds. For example, last year the establishment of over 100 acres of native grass came about when WWA joined forces with our longtime partner USFWS to take full advantage of grant funds WWA had to offer. USFWS was able to use a portion of the grant funds to plant a warm season native mix on private land. This grassland cover is extremely important for water quality and wildlife as it holds soil in place, creates a diverse habitat which supports a broader range of species and reduces runoff. The promotion of available funding through grants and fundraising efforts is one way we have built partnerships and restorations.

WWA continuously works with private and public landowners. Wetlands have been drained for years in our state, negatively impacting our rivers and wetland habitats. Restoring a ditched and drained natural kettle basin results in many benefits for watersheds. The natural topography is restored and sediment is removed, hereby resulting in a 10 acre emergent marsh on one such project. This marsh now retains water year-round, storing it during flood periods instead of discharging it into the Milwaukee River. It helps mitigate flooding while producing a high quality habitat and recharging groundwater. Private landowners can receive technical and cost-share assistance from WWA through our habitat program.

One of the most publicly visible projects completed by WWA is the restoration of wetlands and Trinity Creek at the Mequon Nature Preserve (MNP). Working with multiple partners, WWA headed the restoration of the wetlands at MNP. The removal of miles of drain tile, ditches and tons of sediment from historic wetland areas has resulted in 25+ acres of wetlands. These types of restorations greatly improve water quality through the reduction in sediment from erosion and decreased nutrient inputs from runoff. They also help mitigate flooding with the removal of artificial drainage, allowing the soil to store tons of water naturally where plants can utilize it. With quality restorations and good partnerships we continue to develop opportunities to further wetland restoration at MNP and throughout the state through these broadening partnerships.

It’s also important to note that WWA restoration work meets many of the water quality issues that are of high importance to a broad group of organizations. Our work directly impacts almost all aspects of water quality, benefiting so many goals set at local, state and federal levels.

Peter Ziegler – Project Director – wwawetlands@gmail.com