[Length 18.5 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

The male Wood Duck is perhaps the most beautifully colored of all of North America's waterfowl. It is called the "Wood" Duck because it is almost always found on water near or in "the woods". The female builds her nest in the cavity of a tree, often more than 20 feet above the ground. When the ducklings leave the nest, they simply step out of the nest cavity opening and fall to the ground. Their fluffy down feathers and a soft layer of leaves on the ground allow them to "bounce" a few times before they follow their mother through the forest to the nearest stream or pond. This male was photographed at a small lake in southeastern New York in a small, unfrozen portion of the lake kept open by a wintering flock of Canada Geese and Mallards. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: February 1981)

[Length 24 in. Wingspan 38 in.]

Common Eiders occur in the far north of North America, Europe, and Siberia. While the males of all four species of Eider ducks have some kind of black-and-white pattern on the body, only the male Common Eider has a black-and-white head pattern. Females are a drab brown so they "blend in" on the nest while they incubate their eggs. In North America Common Eiders breed in the high Arctic coastal regions of Canada and Alaska. They winter along the western coasts of Alaska and Canada and the eastern coasts of Canada and the US south to New Jersey. These drake "Eastern" Common Eiders were photographed along the coast near Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film pushed to 800. (Date: February 1987)

[Length 24 in. Wingspan 38 in.]

This winter plumaged drake "Eastern" Common Eider was photographed at the famous 8th Street jetty in Barnegat, New Jersey. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film pushed to 800. (Date: February 1982)

[Length 24 in. Wingspan 38 in.]

These female "Eastern" Common Eiders were photographed at the famous 8th Street jetty in Barnegat, New Jersey. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film pushed to 800. (Date: February 1982)

[Length 24 in. Wingspan 38 in.]

This drake Common Eider was photographed at Sands of Forvie RSPB Reserve (Ythan Estuary), Newburgh, Scotland, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S f4 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: May 28, 2004)

[Length 24 in. Wingspan 38 in.]

This drake Common Eider was photographed at St. James Park, London, England, and is part of the captive waterfowl collection there. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodak Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: April 2002)

[Length 24 in. Wingspan 38 in.]

This drake Common Eider was photographed at St. James Park, London, England, and is part of the captive waterfowl collection there. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 180 f2.8 lens on Kodak Elitechrome 200 film. (Date: April 2002)

[Length 24 in. Wingspan 38 in.]

This female Common Eider was photographed at St. James Park, London, England, and is part of the captive waterfowl collection there. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: April 2002)