Finding America's Favorite Duck: The Wood Duck

At the beginning of spring Badgerland Birding held a competition to see which duck species is America's favorite. Now, Ryan and Derek are on a mission to find the winning species (the Wood Duck) in the wild. Thanks to everyone who voted in the competition!
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Panasonic LUMIX FZ80 4K Digital Camera
Used for most bird videos) - check credits as we do source some photos/videos elsewhere which is noted in the description
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Cayer FP2450 Fluid Head Tripod, 75 inches Aluminium Tripod
Derek's lighter tripod
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Credits
Wood Duck chick jumping by John Mischefske (CC by 2.0)
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Wood Duck in cover image by Frank Vassen (Edited - CC by 2.0)
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Background of cover image by Justin Meissen (Edited - CC by 2.0)
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CC by 2.0 license
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Thanks to Terry Sohl for allowing us to use his range maps
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All other photos and videos by Derek and Ryan Sallmann
#Birding #BirdWatching #BadgerlandBirding #WoodDuck

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks to everyone who voted in the bracket challenge! We will hopefully be releasing the bracket winner soon! If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe, like, and share! It really helps us out!

[@daltonadger6489]

Love watching wood ducks, but they also taste great

[@BadgerlandBirding]

😅

[@SpaceAndStarsGalore]

justice for the northern shoveler!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Haha, they were one of our challenge birds for May if that's any consolation.

[@SpaceAndStarsGalore]

@@BadgerlandBirding sounds awesome! Looking forward to it

[@shelleybrandon2825]

I have a place on the Namekagon River in northern WI. Have always seen the wood ducks up here, but last year they came off the landing and foraged up on our lawn! It was amazing!!! Usually I end up spooking them in the underbrush off the landing to the river on our property. I got lots of great photos (I think) and noticed, the Mrs has way more spots of color than I ever thought she did! Good job guys! Loved this!!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

The females definitely have a lot of iridescence to them that you can see when the light hits them!

[@davebashford3753]

I have one female in my nest box and six males in the river just off my deck right now. How cool is that!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

That's awesome!

[@am_cosmos]

I love Wood Ducks! The females look neat too with their cute white eyeliner. I want to go up to the Central Park reservoir here in NYC and look for the Wood Duck/Mallard pair that a lot of folks report.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Like a Mallard and a wood duck that are a mating pair?

[@Tigerpuffer]

Wood ducks are such great birds. We are fortunate enough to have wood ducks year-round in coastal New York, although they are sort of owlish in that they're easy to miss in their preferred forested habitats. One of my more unusual recent encounters with wood duck was a m/f pair tucked in among the rocks of a jetty, just a foot or so above the pounding surf of an ocean beach. On our return walk, we had a flyover trio over the shoreline!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Nice! That's interesting about the jetties.

[@janm2473]

So nice watching your videos, boys.. a fan in Alberta

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks so much for watching! Glad you’re enjoying them

[@PeregrineBF]

The sides of the male aren't a flat tan, they're actually slightly speckled. There are a few pictures that show this well on Macaulay Library. I've only ever managed to get one shot to show it clearly, they're *very* skittish.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Indeed, lots of beautiful complex colors on those birds!

[@dixxebell]

Its nice to see you both together...Our migrants are in full swing, listening to an E. Wood Peewee sing outside my window today. Glad you found the Wood Ducks!!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks! It was nice to be back in WI for a little bit! - Derek

[@carolshannon6449]

Wood ducks really are beautiful. Great that you got such good looks at them.

[@michaelszczys8316]

Saw one once in the Rouge River in Detroit. It was pretty weird looking with its square looking head and beady looking eye. Cool

[@BadgerlandBirding]

They are definitely unique!

[@michaelszczys8316]

@@BadgerlandBirding sure stood out from the rest of the crowd

[@thetraveler2561]

Beautiful fowl.....wish we could see some here at the state park in Kankakee....plenty of Canadian geese though, mallards....sometimes in our own backyard on occasion. Nice birding boys.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks!

[@_ethanol_]

I saw two Wood Ducks in a tree four days ago!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Nice!

[@ABirdersParadise]

Aw, poor Harlequin. If I had stuck with my original guess, I would have put the Wood Duck down as the winner. Anyway, beautiful bird and great videos!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thank you! Hope you enjoyed the recent Harlequin Duck video, too!

[@neeleyfolk]

Hoping to go up to a swamp this week end and seeing if any Wood Ducks are there.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Wherever there’s a swamp, chances are there’s also a wood duck lol

[@emotional_support_ghost9787]

I saw some today

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Nice!

[@adventureswithalexia]

The WDs knew you were looking for them 🤣🤣 😍😍😍 just saw some Wood Ducks! One was doing a mating dance in Sacramento Ca. 3 males and 1 female, poor female… the video I took is on my Instagram if you guys want to see. 😍😍😍 they are cuties 😍😍😍 I’ve been Enjoying your videos 😁🙌🙌❤️

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks, Alexia!!

[@Illinoisoutdoorsvids]

I finally found a yellow rumped warbler in our backyard along with some sort of sandpiper. I completed this months migration madness challenge!

[@snowyowl5556]

Make sure to comment on the original video... otherwise it won't be counted 🤨

[@Illinoisoutdoorsvids]

@@snowyowl5556 thanks for reminding me! I also found both sparrows

[@snowyowl5556]

@@Illinoisoutdoorsvids awesome!

[@Illinoisoutdoorsvids]

@@snowyowl5556 the shorebird was a solitary sandpiper

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Nice job! Congrats!

[@TheDarktater]

I saw a pair of Wood Ducks in my pond on Monday (for the first time). They hung out for around 4 hours before they left. 2 males and a female were back today so I hope they find a spot to nest nearby!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Nice! You could always put up some nest boxes!

[@mikesteed7076]

This was a lot of fun and very informative! I look forward to the next bracket challenge be it song bird, raptors, whatever. 👍

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Glad you enjoyed it, Mike!

[@Shrock568]

You guys should do another bracket

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Maybe next year!

[@Shrock568]

You could do a warbler bracket

[@SeantheBioBro]

It's a solid choice! I love democracy.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

duckocracy*

[@antlerking69]

The first time seeing Woodies 60 feet up in a tree, was like what the F😨

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Haha 😂

[@snowyowl5556]

That was a fun day y'all ✌️ dem crossbills too 🤌 even tho I voted harlequin, the wood duck definitely deserves the W

[@BadgerlandBirding]

The icing on the cake Crossbills!

[@cawdacity]

why did it take me this long to realize you guys are brothers :(

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Haha, I don't know! :)

[@WhistlesToAnimals]

I went to a local site to get pictures of eagles because the last time I rode my bike, there were eagles there. Instead I saw wood ducks and a pileated woodpecker flying around. What a surprise! It often works that way, doesn't it? You go to take pics of what you saw, but instead there are other creatures you didn't expect. Glad people picked the wood duck, and I hope I can get even better pics of them soon!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

It sure does work that way a lot of the time!

[@daveking9393]

I need to put a nesting box up I am lucky enough to live on water and when we first moved here a few decades ago I saw wood ducks haven't seen them in a long time and I just saw a male female pair just 2 days ago Right in my backyard in the water...

[@BadgerlandBirding]

For sure, get that box up! :)

[@kateclark7250]

Wood ducks are awesome. My parent's property has a pond, most often wood ducks are there. My dad built nest boxes for them.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

That's cool!

[@timaugustine9294]

Love wood ducks!!!, great choice y’all voting them the #1 duck. This year I’ve put up 5 wood duck boxes here in East TN on public land. Boxes are easy and fun to make.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Nice! And technically we didn't vote them in, the viewers did! :)

[@andrewbrown4128]

I love your channel and content! I look forward to your new episodes! Do you have a video, or would you consider making one, about why you use a point and shoot camera to bird with? It seems so limiting and difficult. You guys don’t even use a spotting scope either if I remember right? Take care, I voted for Wood Duck!!

[@snowyowl5556]

They have one reviewing the camera they use, so maybe that's what you're looking for? Cuz they kinda talk about why they have only needed the camera

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks so much, Andrew! We basically just started birding with cameras and just got used to using them instead of binoculars. I actually tried binoculars the other day and hated it. It's definitely a personal preference. I don't own a scope, but it's on the wish list of new gear to get! And as Snowy owl555 mentioned I do have a review of the camera we use most often if you want to check it out! -Derek kzbin.info/www/bejne/fma2mYudoqimbck&feature=emb_title

[@mr1pearl]

How much wood would a wood duck duck ..... yeh that don't work 😆 It wasn't my first pick but I'm not mad a the choice they are unique 👍 Great catch on the white winged crossbill !

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Haha, thanks! It was unexpected but always a welcome site to see Crossbills.

[@nathanwebb4836]

I always wished for the wood duck to be the winner and my wish came true. Hooray!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

I do remember you were #TeamWoodDuck from day one!

[@TheBeachMawMaw]

Yes, those Blue Winged Teals are so beautiful!! Great to see them! Yea, we get Barn Swallows here in Texas, they love to make their nest like a cup on the underside of bridges, barns and houses. They make their nest out of mud. There he is, Mr.Wood Duck on top of nesting box! He looked as if he was posing for yall so you could get good pictures! Lol...so beautiful!! Thanks guys!! Great video!!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks, Donnaleigh!

[@AllThingsConsidered333]

Tons of wood ducks in my area from spring to fall. I even saw a few the other day on Oct 18 although most have left for the winter. There were just so many in the area! They primarily stay at a local marsh with trails that run through it. The ducks are super chill and it’s been fun to watch them raise their young all summer. They don’t seem skittish here probably because there are people walking & biking through the marsh every day. I am sad to see them leave for the winter. I have grown quite fond of them. I remember when I was young and I loved watching birds at our winter feeders on the farm, my mom got me some full color photograph bird books and I thought the wood duck was so beautiful and I just wished I would see one sometime! I don’t know if they were as prevalent back then, but I also didn’t get out off the farm much and certainly not for something like searching for birds!