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(North American) Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
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(North American) Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
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Ruddy drake |
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Introduced from North America, the Ruddy Duck has colonised parts of the UK and Europe, interbreeding with the European White-headed Duck |
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Female Ruddy Duck in a flap (with Tufted drake) |
Female Ruddy Duck |
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Ruddy Duck pairs |
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The black-headed duck below lives in Regent's Park, London. Like the North American Ruddy Duck and the Spanish White-headed Duck, he is one of the "stiff tail" family of ducks. He has a fully black head with no white on the face and a turquoise blue bill. Similar to the small Australian Blue-billed Duck (Oxyura australis) and almost identical to the Andean Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis ferruginea), he is actually an Argentinian Ruddy Duck (Oxyura vittata) also called an Argentine Blue-bill. |
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The lady with him looks like a North American Ruddy Duck but could be the South American female (above right); she is being pursued by both breeds (see below). |
The female Argentine Ruddy Duck is similar to the female (north American) Ruddy Duck, though this one has less white and more brown on the cheek. | |||||
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| Giving her the full benefit of his powerful broad shoulders, thick neck and upright tail as he does a little dance on the spot for her | ||||||
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However a North American Ruddy male has been hovering for a long time and sees his chance to muscle in when the female swims away from the Argentinian male |
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As he dashes in at speed she swims and then flies as fast as she can back to her South American boyfriend |
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| Link to White-headed drake | Link to White-headed duck (f) | Link to Maccoa | ||||