Michigan's state duck: Lawmakers approve wood duck as official state duck

(FOX 2) - It's an icon of North American artistry and nature photography, but Michigan hopes to etch the wood duck into state lore as well.

Lawmakers in the state legislature are pushing to make the water fowl into a state symbol, designating it as the official duck of Michigan. The wood duck's historic designation breezed through the Michigan House chamber in June 2025. 

And on Wednesday, the Michigan Senate gave the green light with a 30-4 vote approving the wood duck as the state's first official duck.

Big picture view:

The wood duck is recognizable by its colorful green feathers on the top of its head and the red eye.

However, those familiar colors are only adorned by the male wood duck. When he shows them off, it's in a bid to find a mate. The female wood duck's feathers aren't quite so vibrant. 

They sport soft colors that give them better camouflage while they're raising their young. 

The Wood Duck

Wood ducks prefer wetland woods as their habitat. The combination of water and trees satisfies their need to be submerged or perched on branches, according to Friends of the Rouge.

The ducks generally migrate to Michigan in the early spring before building a nest high up in a tree. Males and females pair up prior to migrating so that when they arrive, they are ready for mating.

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Nests are made up to 50 feet in trees and females will lay eggs every day until they have a large number to incubate. Occasionally, wood duck hens will gift one another with eggs. It's not clear why. However, some believe it's an attempt to help the species' survival rate.

After baby wood ducks hatch, they will spend about a day before jumping to the ground and seeking out food and water.

It's on the forest floor where the mortality rate of wood duck chicks spikes. The Friends of the Rouge says 80% to 90% perish from predators within the first few weeks of life.

Raccoons, owls, snakes, and other animals will also raid the nests of wood ducks. 

Meanwhile, the males don't take part in rearing the chicks. Instead, they leave the nest for another migration with other male ducks - known as drakes. They will fly to isolated wetlands and molt their feathers for a browner coat similar to the females.

This molting process happens all at once, which is why male wood ducks will be left flightless for a month and a half.

Baby wood ducks will eventually take flight, they too will also find a molting site that's safe from predators. From there, they will migrate south for the winter.