Photo by Mary Holland.
A welcome sign of spring in northern New England and New York is the return of wood ducks to wooded swamps and wetlands. There are seven species of ducks in North America that regularly nest in tree cavities, and wood ducks are uniquely adapted for doing so. Their slim bodies allow them to use cavities created by pileated woodpeckers for nesting, and the acuity of wood ducks’ large eyes enables these birds to avoid branches while flying through wooded areas. Even so, it tends to make one look twice to see ducks perched in a tree!