Wood Duck pair at Nagog Pond, April 2024. These cavity-nesting beauties are why we maintain nest boxes in our town. Watch our nest box monitoring series to see Wood Duck families in action.

Wood Ducks: Nature's Most Colorful Cavity Nesters

The morning of May 14th started with an unusual number of camera alerts from inside one of our nest boxes. When we checked the footage, we discovered something magical was happening - twelve wood duck eggs were beginning to hatch.

The 24-Hour Marathon

What followed was an exhausting 24 hours for the mother wood duck. The camera captured her methodically eating the empty eggshells to replenish her calcium, all while tending to each newly hatched duckling. Between the constant chirping and the endless movement of twelve tiny bodies, she barely had a moment's rest.

Her usual afternoon break, which typically lasts much longer, was cut to just 45 minutes. She was clearly anxious about leaving her day-old babies for even that short time.

Jump Day Drama

Wood ducks have one of nature's most dramatic starts to life. Just one day after hatching these tiny ducklings must jump from their nest box to the ground below. No practice runs, no safety net. A leap of faith in its purest form.

On the morning of May 15th, the mother duck checked outside the box twice before deciding conditions were right. Once she made the call, she left the nest and began calling to her babies from below. One by one, the ducklings started leaping into the world.

The footage we captured showed eleven ducklings successfully making their way out, using the mesh grading installed to help them climb. But then came the heart-stopping moment - one last duckling, confused and alone, calling desperately for its family.

[Add photo here of wood duckling if you have one, or another wood duck photo]

Every Duckling Counts

Watching that last baby search for the exit while hearing its family calling from outside was agonizing. It kept going the wrong direction, away from the hole. But wood ducks are tougher than they look - eventually, during a break between camera recordings, duckling number twelve found its way out to rejoin the family.

Caught in mid-leap: a day-old wood duckling makes its dramatic exit from the nest box.

This 100% success rate, twelve eggs and twelve healthy ducklings leaving the nest, isn't always guaranteed. We've had years where a duckling didn't hatch in time with its siblings, requiring intervention from licensed wildlife rehabilitators. That's why having cameras in these boxes is so valuable. Within five minutes of the family leaving, we can check for any stragglers.

Life After the Leap

Once they've made their dramatic exit, these day-old ducklings are surprisingly self-sufficient. They can walk, swim, and feed themselves immediately. The mother leads them into the wetlands where they feast on duckweed and aquatic invertebrates, staying hidden in thick vegetation along the swamp edges.

Success! Mother wood duck leads her ducklings through the wetlands after their dramatic nest box exit. With one rebel at the back of the line!

It was pouring rain the morning this family fledged, so they likely spent some time sheltered under their mother's wings. But by September, these tiny balls of fluff will be ready to fly.

Watch the Full Story

Want to see the actual footage of hatch day through jump day? We captured the entire 24-hour journey on our nest box cameras, from the first pip to the last duckling's dramatic exit.

You can also bookmark the complete nest box series of videos as we post them each breeding season here.

Until next time, keep your eyes on the skies and your hearts in the wild!