I have been raising Wood Ducks for a few years now. I purchased two eggs from a Breeder who provided a Permit to keep these protected birds. When the eggs hatched, I ended up with a male and female wood duck. They were taken to a veterinary clinic to have leg bands put on to mark them as domestic birds and to comply with the USWildlife and Migratory Act or something like that. I purchased an aviary from Cagesbydesign.com and with a diameter of 12 feet, it was perfect for a 5 foot diameter galvanized stock tank 1 foot high. With Perches and a few feeders inside the cage, as well as a nesting box, the birds appear to be very happy and safe. They do make good pets. The key to keeping these ornamental birds is to hatch the ones you are keeping so that they become imprinted to humans. When you enter the aviary, they will fly up to your shoulders and treat you as a member of their species. During the time when the female is with her babies, however, she will not tolerate the male (drake) in the same cage as she will become very protective of the young. A 2nd cage for the drake would be good to have during the time the female is raising the young for that year. They are very amusing birds and become very tame when raised from an egg. Their diet is a Mazure Waterfowl breeder diet with tomatoes, spinach (free choice) and a few superworms to supplement. They love walnuts too. In the wild, wood ducks will eat lots of acorns so they do like nuts and berries alike. I have lots of photos in my computer but with my chicken brain, I can't figure out how to post them for viewing..