Ruddy Duck
If
the ruddy duck were school bus yellow its posture in water would
remind you of a rubber bathtub toy. With its stiff fan shaped
tail held high and proud, and with its neck back and thick beak
the ruddy duck looks like no other. Named for their rusty red
summer plumage the ruddy duck is a winter visitor to Oklahoma
and is the second smallest duck in America.
Ruddy ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) are stocky swimmers generally
only reaching 14 to 16 inches long and they weigh little more
than a pound. In winter both male and female are a gray brown
color with black crown and nape. Ruddy ducks have a dark of
chestnut breast and a dusky tail. They have grey feet and a
large concave bill. In the summer the males put on a rusty red
color and their bills change to a bright baby blue. They also
have a white cheek patch similar to a Canada goose only much
brighter.
Like most waterfowl they are strong fliers and make the long
migration from their northern range in Alaska and Canada to
their over wintering grounds a along the U.S. gulf coasts south
to mid Mexico. Ruddy ducks are somewhat unique in that they
often make their migration at night. Even though they are strong
enough to make the long migrations, with their short, pointed
wings they are very poor at taking off from the water and
usually will dive or swim away from predators. Ruddy ducks are a
type of diving duck in the family Anatidae and can swim down to
10 feet under water.
Waterfowl tend to exhibit interesting behaviors during rewarded
breeding seasons and ruddy ducks are no different. During the
spring season the male’s bill changes to a light blue and he
starts to set up territories. To show his control of an area the
drake will inflate his neck, raise two tufts of hair on his head
that look like horns, and drum his beak against his chest
producing bubbles and a low hollow tapping. The rest of the time
he is completely silent. After breeding, the female will make a
floating nest of grasses and marsh vegetation. The female ruddy
ducks will then lay eight to 10 white eggs (which are the
largest eggs in relation to female body size) of any waterfowl
species. She alone incubates the eggs for approximately 23 days
and within two days hatching the ducklings can leave the nest
and swim on their own. It will take them another six weeks
before they are strong enough to take their first flight. In the
mean time they are taught to eat pond weeds, sedges and other
types of aquatic vegetation as well as dive for seeds and
aquatic insects on the murky bottom.
Ever heard the term like duck out of water? Whoever coined the
term probably saw a ruddy duck. Their legs are set back further
than most ducks and they walk awkwardly with an upright stance
on land.
Some years, ruddy ducks breed it as far south as the Oklahoma
panhandle during the spring and summer, but generally they are
mostly seen in the winter on our Oklahoma lakes and ponds. So
when you are outdoors this fall, look for that characteristic
rubber ducky shape and you may be with a ruddy. They are one of
the many species that demonstrate our rich wildlife heritage
here in Oklahoma.