Dabbling duck · Duck ID

Wood duck

Aix sponsa · Crested, boldly patterned and fast through the trees. Year-round in the brakes.

Drake. Photo: Paul Danese · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Length: 18–21 in
Weight: 1.0–1.9 lb
Wingspan: 26–29 in
Group: Dabbling duck

Typical adult size. Drakes run larger than hens.

Field marks

How to identify a wood duck

Drake

Green and purple crested head with white chin straps, red eye, red-and-white bill, chestnut breast and buff sides.

Hen

Gray-brown with a white teardrop patch around the eye and a short crest. Gives a rising, squealing "oo-eek" when flushed.

In flight

Fast and agile through timber, with the head held up and a long, square tail. Dark wings, white belly; the bill often looks angled down.

Look-alikes

Hooded merganser: Thin serrated bill, low flat flight, and a fan crest instead of a swept-back one.
American wigeon: Wigeon have a white wing patch and pointed tail; wood ducks look dark-winged and long-tailed.

Photos

Wood duck gallery

Wood duck: Drake on open water — **Drake on open water**USFWS Mountain Prairie · Public domain · source

Wood duck: Hen — **Hen**Shiva Shenoy · CC BY 2.0 · source

Wood duck: Drake in flight — **Drake in flight**Manjith Kainickara from Dallas, Texas, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

Hear it

Wood duck call

Recording: Jonathon Jongsma · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · original recording

2026-27 bag limits

Wood duck limits in six Mid-South states

State	Wood duck daily limit	Possession	Total daily ducks	Source
MississippiNov 27–29; Dec 4–6; Dec 9, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	3 a day	3 times the daily limit Not confirmed Opening-day possession wording in the Digest (check the official source)	6 ducks a day	MDWFP Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits · checked Oct 22, 2026 Mississippi rules
TennesseeNov 28–29; Dec 5, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	3 a day Sept 12–16 wood duck and teal season: no more than 2 wood ducks (closed now).	3 times the daily limit, except 1 times on opening day and 2 times on the second day	6 ducks a day	TWRA Waterfowl and Migratory Birds · checked Oct 22, 2026 Tennessee rules
ArkansasNov 21–29; Dec 10–23; Dec 26, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	3 a day	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	AGFC Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026 Arkansas rules
LouisianaEast Zone Nov 21–Dec 6 and Dec 19–Jan 31; West Zone Nov 14–Dec 6 and Dec 19–Jan 24	3 a day	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	LDWF Seasons and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026 Louisiana rules
MissouriNorth Oct 31–Dec 29; Middle Nov 7–Dec 13 and Dec 19–Jan 10; South Nov 26–29 and Dec 7–Jan 31	3 a day	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	MDC 2026–27 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest · checked Oct 22, 2026 Missouri rules
KentuckyNov 26–29; Dec 7, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	3 a day Sept 19–23 teal and wood duck season: no more than 2 wood ducks (closed now).	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	KDFWR 2026–27 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Guide · checked Oct 22, 2026 Kentucky rules

Regular-season limits from each state’s official 2026-27 regulations. Possession limits count birds at home too. Federal rules apply on top of state rules, and some WMAs and refuges set stricter limits. Louisiana and Missouri set duck seasons by zone; the dates shown are for every zone.

Mid-South

When and where on public land

Timing

Present all year. Local birds are joined by northern migrants in October and November; many move south by mid-December. Tennessee's September season targets them with teal.

Habitat

Beaver ponds, cypress-tupelo brakes, oxbows and small creeks in the timber. Early-season shooting at first light in the brakes at Reelfoot, Meeman-Shelby and the Wolf River.