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Description:
Ruddy Ducks are small, compact ducks. Males have rich
reddish-brown upperparts, a black head and neck, and a white belly and
rump. They have small tufts on the top of the head, and their cheeks are
white. During the breeding season, their bill turns blue. Females are
dark brown. Their cheeks are cream-colored, with a brown stripe running
back from the bill. Juveniles are dark brown.
Range:
Parts of North America, South America, and the West Indies
Habitat:
Freshwater wetlands with dense vegetation
Diet:
In the wild, they eat plants, insects, and small crustaceans.
In the zoo, our Ruddy Ducks eat grains, lettuce, bread, and naturally
growing plants in and around their pond.
Life
Cycle:
The breeding season is from April to June. Males perform
courtship displays, puffing up the neck and then beating the bill against
the chest to make a drumming sound. When a pair forms, both partners help
to build a nest among the reeds, bending the reeds to form the nest bowl.
The nest may also have a ramp leading to it, and it is sometimes covered
over the top. They lay 6-10 eggs, and females incubate alone for almost 4
weeks. Males help to protect the young after hatching. Females may lay
some eggs in the nests of other females, resulting in large broods with
ducklings at different stages of development. The ducklings are mature at
2 years.
Did You Know?
·
Ruddy Ducks have several nicknames, including “butterball”
and “stiff-tail”. The second nickname refers to their long, firm tail
feathers, which can be used as a rudder in the water.
·
They are sociable ducks, living and migrating in flocks.
Males and females usually migrate separately.
·
When they molt in the summer, they lose so many wing
feathers that they are unable to fly until new feathers grow.
·
Ruddy Ducks are threatened in some parts of their range due
to habitat loss and oil spills. They are still common in many places, and
their populations are though to be stable overall.
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