Rarely seen Wood Duck spotted at Three Rivers Aquadrome

Updated: 21 January 2020

A vibrantly coloured duck, a relatively rare spot in wild in the UK, has been spotted in Three Rivers District at the Aquadrome, Rickmansworth.

A vibrantly coloured duck, a relatively rare spot in the wild in the UK, has been spotted in Three Rivers District at the Aquadrome, Rickmansworth.

Cllr Chris Lloyd, Lead Member for Leisure, said: “There is a possibility that the male Wood Duck seen at the Aquadrome could be wild or it may have escaped from a collection. They are popular birds for wildfowl collections, it is most likely that this is a captive-bred bird that has managed to escape. Last seen on Sunday 19 January at the corner of Bury Lake.”

Male Wood Ducks are spectacularly colourful birds, a native of the wooded swamps, shallow lakes, marshes, ponds and creeks. Found in eastern North America, the west coast of the United States and Western Mexico.

They are a tree nesting species and prefer nesting over water. The day after the duckling's hatch, they climb to the nest entrance and jump to the ground and they can swim and feed independently from that point onwards.

Local bird watcher? Why not try and spot this bird next time you are at the Aquadrome.