Ruddy Duck
Ruddy DuckRuddy DuckRuddy DuckRuddy Duck

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Shenandoah National Park
980 Verified records at Shenandoah National Park
January 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 →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 980 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Shenandoah National Park

Canada Goose
LC

Canada Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Branta canadensis

30–40% · Possible
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

20–30% · With luck
Wood Duck
LC

Wood Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aix sponsa

5–10% · With luck
Common Teal
LC

Common Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas crecca

<5% · Rare
Northern Shoveler
LC

Northern Shoveler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula clypeata

<5% · Rare
Common Merganser
LC

Common Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus merganser

<5% · Rare
Bufflehead
LC

Bufflehead

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bucephala albeola

<5% · Rare
Ring-necked Duck
LC

Ring-necked Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya collaris

<5% · Rare
American White-winged Scoter
LC

American White-winged Scoter

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanitta deglandi

Insufficient data
Hooded Merganser
LC

Hooded Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lophodytes cucullatus

<5% · Rare
Blue-winged Teal
LC

Blue-winged Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula discors

<5% · Rare
Gadwall
LC

Gadwall

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca strepera

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
5–10
Feb
5–10
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
5–10
Aug
<5
Sep
5–10
Oct
10–20
Nov
10–20
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 Shenandoah National Park?

About 6% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 980 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

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

January has the highest sighting rate for Ruddy Duck in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.

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