Ruddy Duck
Ruddy DuckRuddy DuckRuddy DuckRuddy Duck

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Banff National Park
106 Verified records at Banff National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck sighting in Banff National Park, based on 106 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Banff National Park

Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

30–40% · Possible
Canada Goose
LC

Canada Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Branta canadensis

20–30% · Possible
Common Merganser
LC

Common Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus merganser

10–20% · With luck
Ring-necked Duck
LC

Ring-necked Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya collaris

10–20% · With luck
Bufflehead
LC

Bufflehead

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bucephala albeola

10–20% · With luck
Common Teal
LC

Common Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas crecca

10–20% · With luck
American Wigeon

American Wigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca americana

5–10% · With luck
Hooded Merganser
LC

Hooded Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lophodytes cucullatus

5–10% · With luck
Common Goldeneye
LC

Common Goldeneye

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bucephala clangula

5–10% · With luck
Trumpeter Swan
LC

Trumpeter Swan

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cygnus buccinator

5–10% · With luck
Lesser Scaup
LC

Lesser Scaup

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya affinis

5–10% · With luck
Northern Shoveler
LC

Northern Shoveler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula clypeata

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
5–10
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
5–10
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
2 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
3 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
4 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
5 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
6 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
7 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
8 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
9 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
10 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
11 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
12 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
13 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
15 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
16 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
20 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
22 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
23 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
25 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
26 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
27 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
28 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
29 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
30 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
Insufficient data
31 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
32 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
33 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
34 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
35 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
36 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
37 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
38 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
39 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Ruddy Duck in Banff National Park?

About 3% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck sighting in Banff National Park, based on 106 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Ruddy Duck in Banff National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Ruddy Duck in Banff National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Banff National Park