Ruddy Duck Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: My favorite Ruddy Duck definitely isn't the sharpest or most technically perfect photo I have of the species! But when I think of Ruddy Ducks I think of...personality! They're such cool little ducks! And one of the coolest things about them is the male's courtship behavior, where he 1) sticks his stiff little tail straight up in the air, 2) puts his bill against his chest, and 2) vibrates his chest and slaps his bill on his chest, producing a nice set of frothy bubbles. And to follow it up, it all ends with a lovely squawky "belch"! That's what this guy is doing, and why there's the motion blur of his bill and head. From Hyde County, South Dakota on July 5th, 2020.


Ruddy Duck 1	Ruddy Duck 2	Ruddy Duck 3	Ruddy Duck 4
March 27th, 2007	March 25th, 2007	March 25th, 2007	October 15th, 2006
Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Kingsbury County, South Dakota
Profile of male in prime breeding plumage	Profile of a female Ruddy Duck	Ruddy Duck female looking towards the camera	Winter-plumaged male on a sunny day

Ruddy Duck 5	Ruddy Duck 6	Ruddy Duck 7	Ruddy Duck 8
March 22nd, 2007	March 25th, 2007	March 25th, 2007	March 25th, 2007
Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota
Side view of adult breeding-plumaged male in the sun	Breeding-plumaged male with great look at the stiff upright tail	Quartering view of a male Ruddy Duck in breeding plumage	Side view of a male Ruddy Duck on a cloudy day

Ruddy Duck 9	Ruddy Duck 10	Ruddy Duck 11	Ruddy Duck 12
March 25th, 2007	July 5th, 2020	July 5th, 2020	July 5th, 2020
Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Hyde County, South Dakota	Hyde County, South Dakota	Hyde County, South Dakota
Male doing its vibrating, bubble-producing display	Close view of male Ruddy Duck calling and producing bubbles	Side view of male Ruddy Duck in breeding plumage on sunny afternoon	Head-on closeup of Ruddy Duck in vertical

Ruddy Duck 13	Ruddy Duck 14	Ruddy Duck 15
March 29th, 2020	April 19th, 2019	November 9th, 2019
Lincoln County, South Dakota	Lake County, South Dakota	Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota
Profile of Ruddy Duck male on choppy waters	Richly colored plumage of male Ruddy Duck	Immature / First-year Ruddy Duck profile