Wood ducks are thriving today in wetland areas across the United States. But this wasn’t always the case, according to a new Wildlife Watch from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
Once on the brink of extinction, wood ducks nearly disappeared from America’s skies—mirroring the fate of other species that vanished during the 20th century. A 2019 study published in Science revealed that the country has lost nearly three billion birds since 1970. Yet the wood duck’s remarkable recovery offers hope.
