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- Courtesy of USFWS
- Photo taken at Two Cities NWR
Ruddy Ducks are diving ducks that belong to the family of stifftailed ducks, named for their stiff tail that acts like a rudder. The ruddy part of their common name comes from the rust-red breeding plumage of the male. They are native to North America where they are wide-spread and common. Very awkward on land, they spend almost all of their time in shallow water at the edge of wetlands where there is an abundance of vegetation to hide in.
Facts and Features
- Geographic Distribution
U.S. coastlines north to British Columbia, Canada and Massachusetts and inland to Missouri. Introduced:Great Britain and Europe
- Amazing Facts
The size of the eggs laid by female Ruddy Ducks is the largest in relation to body size of all ducks. The female lays a clutch of one a day and the weight of the total number laid often exceeds her body weight.
- At the Aquarium
Our Ruddy Ducks came to us from the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where they were bred. They are fed a waterfowl pellet food supplemented with mealworms, bloodworms, krill, mussels, and romaine lettuce.