Ruddy Duck
Common Name:
Ruddy Duck
Class: Aves
Order:
Anseriformes
Family:
Anatidae
Genus:
Oxyura
Species:
Oxyura jamaicensis
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photo Steve Pitt |
Taxonomy/Description
The Ruddy Duck
belongs to the family Anatidae. This family is made up of ducks and
duck-like waterfowl. The members of this family share adaptations
to life on the water including webbed feet, flattened bills, and
feathers with special oils to prevent water absorption. The Latin
name,
Oxyura
jamaicensis means “Jamaican pointed-tail.” The Ruddy Duck
is named this because they were first discovered in Jamaica and the
male will point its tail upwards during courtship. The Ruddy Duck
is a small diving duck. In the summer, the male is reddish brown
with a black cap and a white cheek. It also has a sky blue bill.
In the winter, the male is gray with a white cheek. The female
Ruddy Duck is gray. It is distinguished from the male in the winter
by a horizontal gray line on its white cheek.
Habitat/Diet
The Ruddy Duck
can be found on freshwater marshes including those formed by the
Great Lakes. It also favors reservoirs, ponds, and deep natural
basins during the breeding seasons. During reproduction, prairie
potholes in the Midwest are also essential for their survival.
During migration it can be found lakes, reservoirs, and permanent
wetlands. During the winter, the duck can also be found in
freshwater and brackish marshes and bays, as well as tidal
estuaries. The Ruddy Duck winters throughout the United States and
Mexico. Some populations of the Ruddy Duck do not migrate and live
year round in the Caribbean and Southwest United States. The diet
of Ruddy Ducks consists of invertebrates such as zooplanktons,
crustaceans, and aquatic insects. They also consume a small amount
of aquatic plants and seeds.
Behavior/Reproduction
The Ruddy Duck
is one of the most aquatic ducks and has trouble with land
locomotion. Its feet are large and set far back on the body that
aids in diving. The duck can be extremely aggressive, especial
during the breeding seasons. Predators of the Ruddy Duck include
the Red-tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl, Mink, Raccoon, and Red Fox.
The Black-Crowned Night Heron and Ring-billed Gull will also attack
the young while the American Crow will prey upon eggs. To escape
predation, the Ruddy Duck will usually dive or swim to open water.
In the breeding season, pair bonds form shortly after the duck’s
arrival to the breeding ground. However, some male Ruddy Ducks are
polyandrous. This means the male will mate with more than one
female in a breeding year. The eggs laid by the female Ruddy Duck
are the largest of the ducks when compared to body side. Since
laying the eggs is so physically demanding, usually only one nest is
made each year. Nests are normally made of dead materials with few
made of entirely green vegetation. On average, 7-8 eggs will be
laid in the nest. Only the female will care for the young
hatchlings and most females will abandon their ducklings before the
young can fly.
Where to see them in WNY
The Ruddy Duck
is a rare visitor the Western New York. However, it can be seen in
the freshwater marshes and ponds of Western New York during the
breeding season and the winter.
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