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 →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Surf Scoter
Melanitta perspicillata
Common Merganser
Mergus merganser
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
American White-winged Scoter
Melanitta deglandi
Taiga Bean Goose
Anser fabalis
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Common Teal
Anas crecca
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
American Wigeon
Mareca americana
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ 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
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Ruddy Duck in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve?
About 0% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Ruddy Duck in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve?
November has the highest sighting rate for Ruddy Duck in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in our monthly data.