The Ruddy Duck
Description: A small duck with distinct white cheek patches, black cap and dark back; spiky tail feathers if held upright.
When: Migrates to Louisiana around late October or early November and stays until April. Most ruddies migrate at night in small flocks.
Where: Freshwater lakes and ponds, marshy waterways.
Breeding: Ruddy ducks breed in the central and western United States and into Canada; however, there is documentation of breeding pairs and hatchlings on Louisiana’s coast from 1969-1970. The female ruddy builds and lays her eggs in a raised platform nest of grasses and cattails over shallow water in the marsh. Ruddies will also lay eggs in other ruddies’ nests, nests of other ducks, and different marsh birds.
Feeding: Mainly plant seeds and roots; also insects and crustaceans.
Interesting facts: Ruddies are diving ducks and can swim underwater if threatened. On the surface, they seem to ‘bob’ or float like a plastic rubber ducky. Ruddies can form ‘rafts’ where large numbers float closely together.
While ruddies appear to float with ease, they have trouble walking on land. Their legs are positioned far to the rear of their body. These ducks are not given to frequent flight and seem sluggish when taking off.
I consistently see them every winter at Capital Lake in Baton Rouge, not in large numbers but enough to get my ruddy fix.
The ruddy duck is one of two species of stiff-tailed ducks in the U.S.—the other is the Masked Duck. With tail-feathers raised, the ruddies have a rather compact look. During courtship the male raises these stiff tail feathers back and forth over his back in addition to moving his head quickly so that the bill slaps against his chest. However, it is the color of the ruddy’s bill which draws the most attention: in females and non-breeding males it is grey to black. During breeding season the males’ bill turns a powdery blue color (think Wedgewood Blue) and his back, breast and neck become a rich cinnamon color. He is one dapper dude.
Dr. George Lowry writes in his book, Louisiana Birds, that the ruddy duck has a regional name in south Louisiana of ‘God-damn’. He further explains that “this blasphemy” started in the market-hunting days and was uttered by the commercial hunters often responsible for the devastation of many wildlife populations in a given area.
Lowry states that plucking the ruddy duck’s back feathers “which are deeply anchored” often tore the skin before the feathers came out. “This would expose the flesh, which, on contact with the air, turned black and rendered the bird less attractive for market display.”
Since the ruddy has been called the “original butterball,” this plucking problem probably helped to keep the ruddy duck population healthy. Today Wildlife and Fisheries set limits on how many ducks you can take in a day.
Happy birding!
Questions or comments? Email Harriett at Harriett.pooler@gmail.com.