The Ruddy Duck is a small diving duck that has a distinctive blue bill and an upright tail. In this blog post, we will explore the basic description of the Ruddy Duck, where to find them, their habitat, food habits as well as some cool facts about these fascinating birds.
Basic Description
The Ruddy Duck can be easily identified by its small size and striking appearance. They have a plump body with short wings and a square-shaped head. The males have bright chestnut feathers on their body while females are brown in color with darker markings on their flanks.
Where To Find This Bird
Ruddy Ducks are found throughout North America from Alaska to California and all the way down to Central America. During summer breeding season they can be found in freshwater marshes across Canada and much of northern United States but during winter months they migrate southward towards warmer waters along Mexico’s Pacific Coast or even into South America.
Habitat
Their preferred habitat is shallow wetlands such as ponds or marshes near fresh water sources like lakes or rivers which provide them with ample feeding grounds for fish, insects, crustaceans among other aquatic life forms that make up their diet.
Food
Ruddy ducks are primarily carnivores whose diet mainly consists of fish but also includes crustaceans like crayfish and shrimp along with insects such as dragonflies when available.
Cool Facts
Despite being relatively small in size compared to other species of ducks, male ruddies possess genitalia proportionally larger than any other bird species relative to body weight (up to 18% by mass). Their stiff tail feathers help them maintain balance under water while swimming at high speeds – possibly attaining maximum underwater speed of over 30 mph! Additionally mating pairs can often be seen performing coordinated courtship displays including head bobbing dances accompanied by grunting noises made through inflated throat pouches.
In conclusion if you love watching birds during your outdoor pursuits, be sure to keep an eye out for the Ruddy Duck. These unique and fascinating birds have a lot of interesting characteristics that are definitely worth observing up close!
