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A male ruddy duck with a bright blue bill and white cheeks swimming.
Photo: Dick Daniels, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

A small diving duck of the Americas with a bright blue bill, whose males drum their bills to make bubbles when courting.

🦆 Waterfowl
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About the Ruddy Duck

Ruddy ducks are native to North and South America. Both males and females have blue bills, though the female's is paler. Males have white faces, and females have a dark stripe across the face. They live on freshwater lakes and ponds and eat mostly plants and small water animals. To escape danger, they can slowly sink below the surface.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Oxyura jamaicensis[1]
Diet
Omnivore. Mostly water plants and aquatic invertebrates.[1]
Habitat
Temperate freshwater lakes, ponds and marshes.[1]
Where it lives
North and South America; introduced in Europe.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).[2]

Fun facts

  • Ruddy ducks lay the biggest eggs of any duck for their size.[1]
  • Courting males drum their bills on their necks to make bubbles.[1]
  • They can sink below the water to escape predators.[1]

Vocabulary

diving duck
A duck that dives underwater to find food.
aquatic
Living in or near water.
introduced
Brought by people to a place where it didn't live before.
courtship
Behavior animals use to attract a mate.
least concern
A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Ruddy Duck.” https://www.sfzoo.org/ruddy-duck/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Oxyura jamaicensis (Ruddy Duck).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22727750/132178041 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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