Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
About the Ruddy Duck
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". The specific name jamaicensis means "from Jamaica". The ruddy duck has also been nicknamed "butterball", a term used to describe an individual that is somewhat fat, due to its short and stout stature making activities like flying and walking upright awkward.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 53 recordings for this species: 2 CC BY-NC-SA · 1 CC BY-NC-ND. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Canada, Colombia, France, Mexico in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Other birds you can hear here
- American Yellow WarblerSetophaga aestivarecording
- Barn SwallowHirundo rusticarecording
- Black-bellied Whistling DuckDendrocygna autumnalisrecording
- Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescensrecording
- American Barn OwlTyto furcatarecording
- American Golden PloverPluvialis dominicarecording
These are the birds recorded alongside it, not close relatives — the site holds no other member of its genus or family yet.