Wood duck becomes official waterfowl species of Michigan

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan state lawmakers voted on March 25 to make the wood duck the first official duck of Michigan. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the legislation (HB 4044) the next day, making the designation official. 

“Michigan’s recognition of the wood duck celebrates more than a beautiful bird; it honors a conservation comeback made possible by protecting wetlands, restoring habitat and standing up for the future of waterfowl,” said lead bill author, Representative Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn). “No one has been a better champion in this space than Ducks Unlimited, whose investments in habitat have enabled the wood duck to thrive. Their important work, in combination with strong legislative effort, has allowed us to adopt a state duck — serving as a win for the species and a win for Michigan.” 

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Revered for its spectacular plumage, amazing flying abilities, and fine qualities as table fare, the wood duck is one of six cavity-nesting duck species in North America and the only member of its genus in the western hemisphere. At the turn of the 20th century, wood ducks were driven to the brink of extinction by market hunting and widespread loss of bottomland hardwood forests and other important habitats.

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Protections granted by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the restoration of crucial habitats helped wood ducks achieve a dramatic recovery over the following decades, and their populations are now healthy. 

Wood Ducks are common in riparian wetlands, forested swamps, and freshwater marshes. Their range is restricted to North America, with two disjunct breeding populations, one that ranges from southern British Columbia, Washington and Montana south along the west coast to California and the other from southern Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec south across roughly the eastern half of the US to the Gulf Coast and Cuba.

Nests are in cavities, usually near or over water, and they make extensive use of nest boxes in open and emergent marsh areas. 

“The foresight and commitment of our lawmakers, protections like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and investments in habitat restoration by conservationists like the members, volunteers and supporters of Ducks Unlimited have transformed the wood duck’s story from near extinction to a conservation triumph,” said DU’s Michigan State Policy Chair Dave Bowers. “Your leadership and passion ensure that remarkable species like the wood duck continue to thrive for generations.”