Wood duck hen, United States

Wood duck hen

The wood duck, pictured here, is one of the most colourful waterfowl in North America. Males dazzle with iridescent plumage, red eyes and a bold white flare down the neck, while females have a softer look, with grey-brown feathers, a white eye-ring and a pale throat. Both have a small crest on the head, and their wings show a blue-green patch edged in white.

This species has made quite a comeback after once facing steep population declines due to hunting and habitat loss. Thanks to conservation efforts and nest box programmes, they are now a regular sight in wooded swamps, marshes and lakes. While some wood ducks stay put year-round in the southern United States, northern hens migrate south when the chill sets in, heading for milder regions stretching from the southern states to Mexico.