A small stiff-tailed duck. Males in breeding plumage: vivid rufous body, bright blue bill, white cheeks, dark cap. Famously aggressive — males drum on chest with bill.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The ruddy duck is a species of duck, one of six extant species of stiff-tailed duck. In the 1940s, the ruddy duck was introduced to the United Kingdom, where it established a population. Outside the Americas, the ruddy duck is considered a highly invasive species, prompting many countries to initiate culling projects to eradicate it from the native ecosystem.
Source: Wikipedia — Ruddy duck Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Compact duck with a large head and a stiff tail often held up. Breeding male: rich chestnut body, black cap, white cheek, and a sky-blue bill. Female and winter male dull brown with a dark cheek line.
Similar species. No other small duck cocks its tail and shows the male's blue bill; the female's single dark cheek stripe is a good mark.
Voice. Mostly silent; courtship display makes a soft 'belching' bubbling sound, not a true call.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Varies by species: aquatic plants, seeds, invertebrates, fish.
Behavior. A small, stiff-tailed diving duck; breeding males hold the tail cocked vertically and perform a bubbling display, beating the bright blue bill against the chest.
§ Range
Across North America
§ Habitat
Marshes, ponds, lakes with vegetation
§ Threats
Introduced range conflicts; wetland loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the ruddy duck is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support wetland protection. Maintain natural pond and lake hydrology.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Ruddy duck
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Oxyura jamaicensis
- IUCN Red List — search for Oxyura jamaicensis
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Oxyura jamaicensis
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
