Oxyura jamaicensis
The Ruddy Duck, *Oxyura jamaicensis*, is a small, stout-bodied diving duck celebrated for its distinctive appearance and behavior. Breeding males are unmistakable, sporting a brilliant chestnut body, a stark white cheek, a bold black cap, and a bright sky-blue bill, often holding their stiff, fan-like tail vertically. Females and non-breeding males are more subdued, with dusky-brown plumage, a darker bill, and a dark line bisecting a duller white cheek. Measuring approximately 35-43 cm (14-17...
Ruddy Ducks primarily inhabit shallow, freshwater wetlands such as marshes, ponds, and small lakes, often preferring dense emergent vegetation. In winter, they may utilize larger, open bodies of fresh or brackish water, often at low elevations.
Their diet primarily consists of aquatic invertebrates, including insect larvae (chironomids, caddisflies), small crustaceans, and mollusks, supplemented by aquatic plant seeds, roots, and tubers. They are expert divers, usually feeding in shallow water.
Ruddy Ducks are largely diurnal, spending much of their time diving for food and often roosting gregariously on open water in large flocks outside the breeding season. Their foraging technique involves diving underwater for extended periods, propelled by their powerful, rear-set legs which act li...
The Ruddy Duck boasts a broad distribution across the Americas. Its primary North American breeding range encompasses the Prairie Pothole Region of the Great Plains, the Great Basin, and scattered western and interior wetlands of the United States and Canada. Isolated breeding populations also oc...
Least Concern
- Ruddy Ducks are often called 'stiff-tails' due to their distinctive tail feathers, which they frequently hold upright. - The bright sky-blue bill of the male Ruddy Duck is only present during the breeding season; it turns dusky-gray in non-breeding (eclipse) plumage. - They are one of the few d...