Wood ducks stand out in a crowd
Wooden nesting boxes helped the population recover
Clear Lake has a wide array of waterfowl and without question the prettiest duck is the male wood duck. The wood duck draws hundreds of bird watchers each year to Clear Lake because of its beauty and strange behavior. It is the only duck that makes its nest in trees.
At one time the wood duck population in the United States was so low it was feared the bird would become extinct, but conservationists created wooden nesting boxes, helping the population recover. Wood ducks are now common throughout the country and nesting boxes can be found around at many of the lakes in Lake County.
The male wood duck is one of the most colorful and recognizable birds in the country. It has at least six different colors on its body. The top of the head is a purplish- green . The sides of the face are black with a white stripe. The chest is a dark red and it has a blackish tail and back.
The males use these bright colors to attract females during the breeding season. They breed from April until August. The females build nests in cavities of trees or in wooden nesting boxes placed by volunteers. Wood ducks have strong claws that allow them to grip the bark of trees and move around among the branches. The female lines the nest with down feathers she takes from her breast.
Clear Lake State Park has a number of wooden nest boxes scattered throughout its boundaries. The nesting area is usually near water but can be as far as a mile inland. A female can lay a many as a dozen eggs and often produces two broods a year. The