In the southeastern United States, wood ducks (Aix sponsa) have historically experienced interspecific brood parasitism (IBP) primarily from hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus), but the recent northward expansion of black-bellied whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis) has added a new complexity to these interactions. We monitored nest boxes in Louisiana to evaluate the influence IBP had on wood duck daily nest survival rate (after, DSR) and duckling recruitment. We monitored 1,295 wood duck nests from 2020−2023 and found 112 (8.7%) were parasitized by hooded mergansers and 148 (11.5%) by whistling-ducks. Parasitic egg-laying by hooded mergansers lowered wood duck DSR, while DSR for nests parasitized by whistling-ducks was comparable to clutches containing only wood duck eggs. We considered the wood duck capture histories of 2,465 marked female ducklings and 540 banded adult females to estimate a duckling recruitment probability for the entire study period. We recaptured 50 ducklings as adults; 6 (12.0%) hatched from clutches parasitized by hooded mergansers, 1 (2.0%) from a clutch parasitized by a whistling-duck, and 43 (86.0%) from clutches containing only wood duck eggs. The duckling recruitment probability was 0.039 (95% credible interval = 0.028, 0.051). Nest initiation date had a negative effect on recruitment, wherein most recruits hatched from nests initiated earlier in the season. Given only ~9% of wood duck nests contained hooded merganser eggs, we conclude IBP writ large had no detrimental effect on DSR at a population level. The lower DSR of clutches parasitized by hooded mergansers is potentially linked to a high abundance of early-season parasites that produce "dump nests" and these clutches are often abandoned without being incubated. Despite ongoing parasitism by hooded mergansers and the range expansion of whistling-ducks, wood duck productivity in Louisiana appears to be minimally affected by interspecific brood parasitism.

Funding provided by: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and FisheriesCrossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/03gqzqb15Award Number: Funding provided by: United States Department of AgricultureCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000199Award Number: Funding provided by: Nemours Wildlife FoundationCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100011861Award Number: Funding provided by: National Institute of Food and AgricultureCrossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/05qx3fv49Award Number: LAB94294 Funding provided by: Louisiana State University Agricultural CenterCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100013397Award Number: Funding provided by: Louisiana Ornithological Society*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: