{"id":6150,"date":"2024-11-22T17:47:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T17:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/?p=6150"},"modified":"2024-11-22T17:47:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T17:47:00","slug":"ruddy-duck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/2024\/11\/22\/ruddy-duck\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruddy Duck"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo from Ducks Unlimited https:\/\/www.ducks.ca\/species\/ruddy-duck<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part I – General Information and ID<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Description and ID<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis<\/em>) is a small species of diving duck belonging to the Anatidae<\/em> family in the order Anseriformes. Learning to identify waterfowl can be a dubious task but there are certain traits that can help in the case of the Ruddy Duck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Size<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Does it dive or dabble?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Can you see its tail?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Is it sleepy?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Ruddys are quite small at 300-850 grams compared to the well-known Mallard\u2019s hefty 1000-1300 grams (All About Birds Ruddy Duck<\/em>; All About Birds Mallard<\/em>). Still, Ruddy ducks have been described as \u201cvery chunky\u201d which may explain their nickname \u201cbutterball\u201d (Johnsgard 2010 pp. 530, 529). They are stocky, with a small frame and a thick neck. Without a direct comparison it can be difficult to tell the size of a bird, so instead, look at its behaviour; does it dive or dabble? Ruddy Ducks dive fully underwater to find their meals while dabbling ducks, like Mallards, tip upside-down, keeping their back half above the water to eat. So, if you see a duck butt sticking up in the air, it most likely does not belong to a Ruddy duck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    NOT a Ruddy Duck<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Photo of a dabbling Mallard by Emma Wallace-Tarry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The plumage of a Ruddy Duck is not a super helpful identifier during much of the year, as males and females maintain a drab grayish-brown coat through fall, winter, and early spring. If you see a small, diving duck with indistinct plumage, try looking at the tail. If it has a distinct stiff-looking tail pointing up or sitting flat on the surface of the water, you are looking at a stiff-tailed duck; if you are in Canada, it is almost certainly a Ruddy. There are eight other species of stiff-tailed duck in the world. Still, Ruddy Ducks are one of only two species in North America, the other being the Masked duck (Oxyura dominica<\/em>), which only travels as far north as Texas (Johnsgard 2010).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Male Masked Duck (Notice the tail sitting on the surface of the water)https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/243588061<\/a> Photo by Ciro Albano<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    These inconspicuous ducks are typically silent and often \u201clethargic\u201d (Audubon). Ruddy Ducks are more active at night and are often observed sleeping during the day. This might make it hard to use the other identifying behaviours, but if you see a really sleepy duck, it\u2019s worth considering that it\u2019s a Ruddy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Plumage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The distinguished male breeding plumage is only present in late spring and summer (Johnsgard 2010). Otherwise, look for the clear white cheek patch in the non-breeding male, which is streaked with brown in females. Telling apart immature males from females is left to the experts…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Breeding male<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Photo by Pierre Martin<\/strong> https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/166130231<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Non-breeding male<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Photo by Ryan Schain<\/strong> https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/21442881<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Female\/Immature male<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Photo by Brad Imhoff<\/strong> https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/119406601<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Habitat and Range<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Ruddy Duck is the most abundant stiff-tailed duck in North America (Johnsgard 2010). In British Columbia, Ruddy Ducks can be found breeding in the interior or wintering along the coast (Johnsgard 2010). Their range includes southern Canada from west to east and almost all of the US and Mexico (All About Birds). The main breeding ground is central North America, with about 86% of the breeding population in the prairie pothole region (All about birds Ruddy Duck<\/em>). A Ruddy Duck’s preferred breeding location will have marshy areas containing open water (fresh or alkaline) and dense plants upon which they can build their nests (Johnsgard 2010). In the winter they are partial to brackish bays and other coastal areas but still frequent wetlands (All about birds Ruddy Duck<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/guide\/Ruddy_Duck\/maps-range<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Breeding and Behaviour<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Ruddy ducks are unique among ducks for their breeding behaviour. Despite their innocent appearance, males are known for being aggressive and promiscuous (Brennan et al. 2017). Unlike most other ducks, they only pair up once reaching the breeding grounds and the partnerships are very short (All about birds Ruddy Duck<\/em>; Brennan et al. 2017). They experience intense sexual competition and many males often battle for the attention of one female (Brennan et al. 2017). The unique mating display of the male ruddy duck is shown in the video below. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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