The ruddy duck is a small, compact duck that lives primarily in North America. It gets its name from the male’s bright ruddy plumage during breeding season. Ruddy ducks inhabit freshwater wetlands across much of the continent, though populations have declined in some areas. Read on to learn more about the habitats and range of this interesting little duck.
Breeding Range
During the breeding season, ruddy ducks are found predominantly in the Prairie Pothole Region of central North America. This grassland area stretches from central Alberta, Canada down through the Dakotas in the United States. The numerous small wetlands, marshes, and ponds here provide ideal breeding habitat for ruddy ducks.
Within this region, ruddy duck breeding hotspots include:
- The aspen parklands of central Alberta and Saskatchewan
- The pothole country of southern Manitoba
- North and South Dakota
- Northern Iowa
- Western Minnesota
Though not as abundant, ruddy ducks also breed in wetlands scattered across other parts of their range. This includes parts of:
- Southern Canada from British Columbia to Quebec
- The Pacific Northwest and Great Basin in the western United States
- The Upper Midwest from Wisconsin to Ohio
- Northeastern states from New York to Maine
Wintering Range
During winter, ruddy ducks vacate their breeding wetlands, which freeze over, and migrate south to ice-free habitats. Their winter range centers on the southern United States and Mexico.
Major wintering areas include:
- The Central Valley of California
- Coastal wetlands along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida
- Interior wetlands in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi
- Reservoirs, lakes, and ponds across the southern U.S. into Mexico
Ruddy ducks often congregate in large rafts of thousands of birds on open water habitats during winter. Prime spots include the Lower Klamath NWR in California, Audubon’s Rainey Sanctuary in Louisiana, and Laguna Cartagena in Mexico where groups of up to 80,000 ruddy ducks have been recorded!
Year-Round Range
Outside of the breeding and core wintering grounds, ruddy ducks can be found year-round in some wetland areas, primarily:
- Central California
- Coastal zones from Washington to Baja California
- Scattered sites across the southern U.S. from California to the Carolinas
These resident ducks take advantage of man-made habitats like reservoirs, sewage ponds, and flooded agricultural fields. Mild climates allow them to inhabit areas year-round where winter weather would otherwise force them to migrate.
Range Expansion and Decline
Ruddy ducks were originally limited to North America, but intentional releases and escapes led to the establishment of populations in Europe. Wild birds were first observed breeding in Britain in the 1950s. Since then they have colonized much of western Europe and even parts of North Africa.
Unfortunately, the introduced European ruddy ducks began hybridizing with the endangered native white-headed duck. Conservation measures to control the ruddy duck population have been implemented to protect the white-headed duck from potential extinction through genetic swamping.
Closer to home, ruddy duck numbers have declined significantly. Surveys indicate the continental population dropped from around 650,000 in 1955 to just 130,000 by 2010. Reasons for this decline are not fully understood but likely include:
- Draining and degradation of prairie pothole breeding habitat
- Development of migration and wintering wetlands
- Over-harvest by hunters in the early 1900s
- Exposure to contaminants like mercury
Protecting key breeding and migratory habitats will be crucial for conserving ruddy duck populations into the future.
Habitat
Throughout their range, ruddy ducks favor shallow, freshwater wetlands with dense emergent vegetation. During summer, they nest in thick stands of bulrushes, cattails, and reeds in prairie marshes and beaver ponds. These provide concealment from predators and allow ducklings an escape route to water.
In winter, they frequent more open wetlands and sheltered bays of larger lakes. Vegetation still provides important cover but the ducks are more likely to raft in open water areas. Flooded agricultural fields also attract large numbers of wintering ruddy ducks in some regions.
Nesting ruddy ducks require approximately one acre of wetland per pair. The presence of ponds less than 12 inches deep with rich aquatic plant growth seems to be a key factor attracting breeding birds.
Diet
Ruddy ducks are omnivorous, feeding mainly on aquatic invertebrates and vegetation. Important food items include:
- Aquatic insects and larvae such as midges, caddisflies, and dragonflies
- Mollusks including snails and freshwater clams
- Crustaceans like scuds, seed shrimp, and crayfish
- Aquatic plants and seeds
- Algae
They use their stiff tail feathers to probe through vegetation when searching for prey. Their compact size allows them to dive and forage in dense stands of emergent plants. Males and non-breeding females tend to eat more animal matter while breeding females rely more on plant foods prior to and during egg-laying.
Nesting
Ruddy ducks are one of the last ducks to migrate north in spring, arriving on the breeding grounds between mid-April and early June. Shortly after arrival, females begin seeking out nest sites built over standing water in thick vegetation.
The nest itself is a pile of grasses and reeds lined with down feathers plucked from the female’s breast. It is often anchored to multiple plant stems above the water line. The elevated position helps conceal the nest and provides some protection from flooding.
Clutch sizes range from 5-15 eggs which are laid at a rate of about one per day. The female incubates them for 23-26 days while the male leaves soon after mating and gathers with other males at molting sites. The ducklings hatch in late June to July and follow their mother to wetland nursery areas rich in insect life.
Behavior
Ruddy ducks are somewhat solitary birds but they do gather in large flocks during winter and on migratory staging areas. Their compact shape and short wings make them awkward on land. Take-offs require a long run across the water to become airborne.
These birds are quite vocal, especially in spring. Males make a distinctive belching “kerr” call and both sexes have a low, growling chatter. Agonistic displays include bill-tilting, head-bobbing, and erecting the spike-like tail feathers.
Ruddy ducks are inquisitive and approachable. Their trusting nature unfortunately made them easy targets for over-hunting in past decades. Their tendency to inhabit man-made wetlands brings them into frequent contact with people.
Conservation Status
The ruddy duck is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, populations in North America have declined significantly since surveys in the 1950s-1960s. The estimated 1.5 million birds recorded in 1956 dropped to just 130,000 by 2010.
To determine trends for waterfowl in North America, an annual breeding survey is conducted across the major nesting habitats. The 2022 survey tallied only 30,800 ruddy ducks, down 7% from 2021 and 69% below the 1955-2010 average.
This ongoing decline has led many wildlife agencies to designate the ruddy duck a species of conservation concern. Habitat protections and harvest restrictions have been implemented in parts of the breeding range. Reintroduction projects have also bolstered populations in states like Missouri.
The future outlook remains tenuous, however, without a reversal of habitat loss on the breeding grounds. Careful monitoring and adaptive management strategies will be key to ensuring the long-term viability of ruddy duck populations.
Fun Facts
- Ruddy ducks are the smallest diving duck in North America.
- Their stiff tail feathers help propel them underwater and act like a rudder when they’re diving.
- During courtship displays, male ruddy ducks inflate their neck to nearly twice its normal size.
- They build nests on top of floating muskrat houses, beaver lodges, and artificial platforms.
- Newly hatched ducklings leap from their nest to the water below – it’s the highest jump relative to body size in the bird world!
- Ruddy ducks are awkward on land but can dart and dive through dense vegetation with ease.
- Their breeding habitat has slowly shifted northward over the past 60 years, likely due to climate change.
- Ruddy ducks are one of the latest ducks to migrate north in spring, not arriving until May or even early June.
Conclusion
In summary, the ruddy duck inhabits freshwater wetlands across much of North America. Their breeding range centers on the Prairie Pothole Region while larger numbers winter along the U.S. Gulf Coast and in Mexico. Preferring small, vegetated ponds and marshes, ruddy ducks feed on aquatic invertebrates and plants. Their populations have significantly declined in recent decades primarily due to habitat loss. Continued wetland conservation will be important for ensuring these compact diving ducks remain a part of North America’s waterfowl heritage.