Description: The male wood duck is one of the most recognizable
birds in the United States. It has over 6 different colors on
its body! The markings of the male wood duck are: - Red eyes and
bill. - Top of head and crest are metallic purplish-green. -
Sides of the face are black with white stripe along the neck. A
small white stripe extends up - The base of the bill has a patch
of yellow. - The chest and the rump are dark red. - The sides
are a drab yellow with black and white stripes at the edges. -
White belly. - Blackish tail and back. - Black and blue wings.
What a colorful bird! The males do not have the decorative
markings all year-round. They use the colorful markings to
attract females during the breeding season that runs from autumn
until the early summer. In the late summer, they grow gray
feathers with blue markings on the wings and white markings on
the face and neck. You can still recognize them as a wood duck
by the red eyes and bill. Female wood ducks have grayish-brown
bodies. The back is dark