Species Spotlight: Wood Duck Allopreening

I’ve been noticing two Wood Ducks sitting together when I go to the lake recently, but I hadn’t zoomed in and really paid attention until this week. Such a treat to realize this was a pair preening each other to boost their pair bond!

Sexing Wood Ducks when the males have shed their brilliant feathers and donned eclipse plumage is all about the eyes. The bird on the left (bold red eyes) is male. The bird on the right (dark eyes ringed by yellow) is female.

As I watched, the male did most of the grooming. But the female eventually got in on the act too.

In case you want to see more action, here’s a video. Possibly NSFW? (That means it might be a little racy for you, Mom.)