Wood Duck

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Wood Duck: for more photos, see Sitka Nature Photo Gallery for Aix sponsa
Locale   Sp     Su     F     W     Br  
SE Alaska (edit) R VR R R +
Yakutat (edit) - - - - -
Skagway (edit) - - - - -
Haines (edit) + - - - -
Glacier Bay (edit) + - + + -
Juneau (edit) + + + + +
Sitka (edit) VR + VR VR -
Stikine (edit)
S Outer Islands (edit)
Ketchikan (edit) VR - VR VR -
Offshore (edit)
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa): Reported from several communities as far north as Haines.

Prior to around 2000 considered Casual (cf. Fa 2008 QBR, Sp 2009 QBR). In the first decade or so of the 2000s, became nearly annual and considered Rare or Very Rare in the region Fall, Winter, and Spring. Since that time, they seem to be showing up in greater numbers with increasing frequency, especially in Summer. Some individuals have been present across multiple seasons.

  • Updated overall occurrence to R F, Wi, and Sp - also Su?
  • Update Juneau to VR or even R in some seasons?
  • Hang out with Mallards elsewhere? (as in Sitka) - Moving between lakes and estuaries?
  • Increased frequency due to increasing populations and an expansion of their range (cf. Birds of the World account)?

Southeast Alaska Quarterly Bird Report Mentions (2008-2018, Heinl and Piston)

  • F2008: Female shot by a hunter near Petersburg on 23 November 2008. Considered casual in Alaska through the early 1990s, but recently has occurred nearly annually in SEAK, primarily from fall through spring. At least 22 records since 1987.
  • Sp2009: Single drakes at KTN 11–24 April 2009 and at WRG on 30 April 2009. Formerly casual but now an annual, rare visitant in fall, winter, and spring.
  • W2010-11: Drake found at Blind Slough, Mitkof Island, 18–25 December 2010. Rare, annual visitant in fall, winter, and spring over the past decade.
  • Sp2011: Drake at KTN 19–23 May 2011 provided the 10th local record.
  • F2011: Drake near PBG, 11 November 2011. This duck is a Rare, annual visitant to SEAK in fall, winter, and spring.
  • W2011-12: Drake at GUS 17 December 2011–2 January 2012 was 2nd local record. Ths species is rare, annual visitant to SEAK, and this was the third recorded in region in 2011.
  • Su2012: Female near Barnes Lake, Stikine River, 5 July 2012 provided only about the 4th summer record for SEAK. Prior summer reports, also from mainland rivers, include a male at the Stikine River 10 July 1976 (= 1st Alaska record; Kessel and Gibson 1978), and single females at the Taku River 20 June 2000 and the Chilkat River 22–25 June 2000 (Johnson et al. 2008).
  • F2012: Female or immature shot by a hunter at Fish Bay, northern Baranof Island, 28 September 2012.
  • F2013: Female at SIT 16 October 2013 was first documented local record.
  • F2014: Female consorted with dabling ducks at the PBG 9–14 November 2014. Rare, annual visitant to SEAK in fall, winter, and spring—though this bird provided the only report in 2014.
  • W2014-15: A drake at SIT 4–5 January 2015 seen intermittently through the end of the period.
  • F2015: A pair on 10 November 2015 in the same Klawock airport pond that hosted three Virginia Rails.
  • W2015-16: A drake found at SIT 7 February 2016 stayed through the period.
  • Sp2016: Drake found at SIT last February was present all spring and into the summer. Female found at JNU 13 April 2016 remained through at least 22 May 2016.
  • Su2016: Drake found at SIT last February was present through the entire summer.
  • F2016: Drake found at SIT in February 2016 was present through the entire fall season.
  • W2016-17: Drake first found Feb 2016 at SIT in February 2016 was present through the entire winter.
  • Sp2017: Drake present at SIT since Feb 2016 was last observed in late May. A pair turned up at Juneau’s Rotary Park on 22 April 2017 — the same location where a female was observed the previous spring (13 April−22 May 2016). Joined by a second male on 16 May 2017 and a third male on 23 May 2017. Female was observed to copulate with one of the males on 24 May 2017. On 31 May 2017 four males were present (but not the female), and multiple birds were observed there into the summer. In addition to Sitka’s long staying drake (above), there are four prior SEAK summer reports from the mainland: a male at Barnes Lake, Stikine River, in 1976 (Kessel and Gibson 1978), single females at the Taku River and the Chilkat River in 2000 (Johnson et al. 2008), and a female at Barnes Lake in 2012.
  • Su2017: JNU flock continued into the summer with up to five birds (a female and four males) through the first week of June. Only one male was observed 10−25 June 2017 and a male and female were present throughout July and into the fall. Although the female copulated with a male on 24 May 2017 (GBV), no other breeding evidence was observed.
  • F2017: One near GUS/GB on 23 October 2017 provided only the 3rd local record and the 1st in fall. Two males observed near JNU, 14 September 2017, where up to five birds had been observed 22 April–1 August 2017.
  • Sp2018: Wood Ducks appeared at JNU for 3rd consecutive spring, beginning with a pair 9 April 2018. Three were present 20 April 2018 (two males, one female), and multiple birds were observed through the end of the period; maximum at one time was four males and two females 28 April 2018.
  • Su2018: Multiple birds present at JNU for 2nd consecutive summer, but no evidence of nesting was observed. Up to four (including one female) were present through 2 June 2018, a female and two males were present through 22 July 2018, and two males were present through 4 August 2018.
  • F2018: A male made a brief, one-day appearance at JNU on 4 October 2018; up to five Wood Ducks had been present at that location from early spring through 4 August 2018.






Local Notes

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References

Weblinks

Other References

Related Files

18-20+ December 2010 Petersburg siting. (Rare bird listserv)

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