Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAnseriformes
- FamilyAnatidae (Anàtids)
- GenusOxyura (Stiff-tailed Ducks)
- SpeciesOxyura jamaicensis (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. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Green-winged Teal
Anas carolinensis
Mexican Duck
Anas diazi
Blue-winged Teal
Spatula discors
Common Teal
Anas crecca
American Wigeon
Mareca americana
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Ruddy Duck at Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there