Approximately 100 people attended the Albany Township Environmental Advisory Council’s presentation by Jeffrey Schucker relating his experiences with wood duck banding and environmental improvement.

President of Bailey Wood Products, Schucker told those gathered inside the Kempton Fire Company social hall that he started on his mission in 1990 and has been happily involved every year since then. Wood ducks range from Canada to the Caribbean.

His presentation titled, “Thirty Years of Banding Wood Ducks in Albany Township,” described how he has been working for three decades on habitat improvement, monitoring, and banding of the local wood duck population.

His affection and enthusiasm for this charmingly beautiful bird is reflected in his dedication to fostering the growth of its numbers.

Schucker’s entertaining presentation includes many photographs of the subject and of his extensive interaction with the birds.

Ducks in this area migrate to the Carolinas and northern Georgia but are most populated in Mississippi and the Atlantic flyway.

This beautiful bird (the male has the colors) was almost extinct in the early 1900s, being hunted for their feathers, but the Migratory Bird Treaty Act saved them. Hunting did not resume until 1941.

They are strong fliers, reaching speeds of up to 30 mph. Their diet consists of seeds, fruit, insects and acorns.

Schucker started with four nests the first year and has expanded to 34 nests.

He starts cleaning nesting boxes in mid March, carrying a ladder and other necessities into the nesting area.

The following month he starts banding of the birds. This year he had 34 nesting hens with 448 eggs and nine screech owl eggs.

At the time he started banding, he was the only person in the state allowed to do wood duck banding. So far, he has banded 333 female wood ducks and one male.

The nesting boxes are the creation of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Schucker fastens them to a tree about 12 feet above ground.

The average clutch of eggs in a nest is 12 to 14 eggs. They will hatch in 28 days with incubation starting when all eggs are laid.

She will lay an egg a day until she sets.

When the eggs hatch, the youngsters will only stay in the nesting box for one day. The mother will call them out and their natural instinct will have them jump down to the ground.

Schucker has banded 333 females and one male so far. The banding information goes to Laurel, Md. Each band has the name and web address. More than 250 have returned to the area.

Other inhabitants of the wood duck nests include screech owls, squirrels, kestrels, blacksnakes, bees and raccoons. The only undesirable of the group is the raccoon. Hooded mergansers also have been known to use the wood duck nest.

Unfortunately, only about 20 percent of the ducklings survive from fledgling to maturity. Those that survive have a life span of more than 10 years.