Wood Duck

The North American Wood Duck is a bird of wooded swamps and shallow lakes, which is sometimes seen in the UK. It is reckoned unlikely that any of these sightings relate to birds which have crossed the Atlantic since the Wood Duck, because of its attractive plumage, has been kept in bird collections since the middle of the 19th century. It is more likely that any birds seen in the wild have escaped from such collections. It is related to the Asian Mandarin Duck, also established in the UK following escapes from bird collections. However unlike the Mandarin duck it is unlikely that the feral population of Wood Ducks is self-sustaining and new occurrences are more likely related to new escapes. It is recorded in the London area and in the last year there have been at least 2 males in my area, one of which spent some months on the Tarn at the end of last year.

female Wood Duck
Photo by Alex Starr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/twix/)