Males have dark brown heads with a tuft of black feathers extending down the back of the neck. The breast is mottled , the body is light gray and the back, belly and tail are black. The hen is draber, with a lighter head and neck, but shares the mottled breast. Her overall body color is grayish-brown. Her bill, legs and feet are dark gray.
Young birds are similar to the hens.
Breeding Maned Wood Ducks have been kept and bred in captivity for many years and are quite commonly seen in aviaries. The breeding season begins in the Northern Hemisphere in mid April and may last until June. They prefer to use cavities, or nest boxes, but will nest in thick ground cover. Females lay a clutch of eight to elven creamy-white eggs which are incubated for about 28 days. They make good parents if allowed to rear their own young.