# Ruddy Duck

*Oxyura jamaicensis*

The male's bill turns a vibrant sky-blue during the breeding season, a color rarely seen in the avian world.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Anseriformes › Anatidae › Oxyura
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Freshwater marshes, alkaline lakes, and ponds with dense emergent vegetation for nesting.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous; primarily aquatic insects, midge larvae, crustaceans, and seeds of pondweeds.
- **Range:** North America, Central America, South America, Europe (introduced)
- **Size:** 35-43 cm long; weight 300-800 grams
- **Lifespan:** 10-13 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Wetland drainage, pollution, and accidental ingestion of lead fishing sinkers.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and shy. Best observed through binoculars from a distance of at least 20 meters. If the bird dives repeatedly or swims away rapidly, you are too close; back away to let it forage in peace.

## About

The ruddy duck ( Oxyura jamaicensis ) is a duck from North America and one of the stiff-tailed ducks. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek oxus , "sharp", and oura , "tail", and jamaicensis is "from Jamaica". The Andean duck was considered a subspecies. In fact, some taxonomists, including the American Ornithological Society, still consider it conspecific. Subspecies: jamaicensis - North America including West Indies. andina - central Colombia. ferruginea - southern Colombia south to Chile.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5d02a5fa-682f-41ce-b4ff-657cb7d5acad
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/850859
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruddy_duck
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/364941588/medium.jpg (Daniel Pineda Vera, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.