Ruddy Duck

The Ruddy Duck is a small, chunky diving duck best known for the breeding male's vivid combination of a rich chestnut body, a jet-black cap, bright white cheeks, and an electric-blue bill. Its stiff tail feathers are often held cocked upright, a signature posture shared by other members of the stiff-tailed duck group. Females and non-breeding males are dull brown with a dark cheek stripe crossing a paler face.

Ruddy Ducks are compact, large-headed, and short-necked, riding low in the water and diving frequently, and are widespread on ponds and marshes across the Americas.

Key field marks

• Small, stocky body with a large head, short thick neck, and a tail often cocked upward
• Breeding male: chestnut body, black cap, white cheek patch, sky-blue bill
• Female/non-breeding male: brown overall with a dark horizontal cheek stripe across a pale face, dull gray bill

Similar species

No other North American duck combines the stiff, often upright tail with the male's bright blue bill and white cheek patch. Female Ruddy Ducks can be told from other small brown ducks by the distinctive dark cheek stripe and stiff-tailed shape.

Ruddy Ducks breed on freshwater marshes, ponds, and lakes with dense emergent vegetation across much of North America, favoring prairie potholes in the core of their breeding range. They winter on ice-free lakes, ponds, and coastal lagoons across the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America, often gathering in large rafts.

Behavior

Ruddy Ducks dive frequently for food and are also capable of slowly sinking below the surface rather than diving. Males perform an elaborate courtship display, slapping their bill against an inflated neck pouch to produce a drumming sound accompanied by bubbles on the water.

Voice

Mostly quiet; displaying males produce a soft popping/drumming sound rather than a true vocal call, along with occasional grunts.

Feeding

Aquatic invertebrates such as midge larvae, along with seeds and aquatic plant material, gleaned by diving in shallow water.

Nesting

Builds a woven platform nest anchored in dense marsh vegetation over water; clutches are relatively large, often 6-10 eggs, and females sometimes lay eggs in the nests of other ducks.