North American wood duck (Carolina duck)

Aix sponsa

Carolina-eend / Brautente /  Canard Carolin

North American wood ducks are native to freshwater habitat in Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Saint Pierre and Miquelon and United States of America. The species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern (IUCN).

North American wood ducks are well known to wildfowl breeders all over the world, especially in North America and Europe. 

 Left: a couple of Wood ducks

 Left: drake Wood duck

 Left: couple of Wood ducks

 L.t.r.: Wood- and Mandarin duckling 

Above: a juvenile wood duck