Ruddy Duck
Photo: Dick Daniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Ducks, Swans, and Geese

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

NENot Evaluated
Family
Ducks, Swans, and Geese (Anatidae)
Order
Anseriformes

Overview

The ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) is a species of duck, one of six extant species of stiff-tailed duck (genus Oxyura). In the 1940s, the ruddy duck was introduced to the United Kingdom, where it established a population. Outside the Americas, the ruddy duck is considered a highly invasive species, prompting many countries to initiate culling projects to eradicate it from the native ecosystem.
The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek oxus meaning "sharp", and oura meaning "tail".

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.