Oxyura ferruginea
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The Andean duck (Oxyura ferruginea) is a bird species native to the Andean Mountains of South America, one of the stiff-tailed ducks. It was considered a subspecies of the ruddy duck. In fact, some taxonomic authorities still consider it conspecific, including the American Ornithological Society.
These are small, compact ducks with stout, scoop-shaped bills, and long, stiff tails they often hold cocked upward. They have slightly peaked heads and fairly short, thick necks. In summer, they have rich chestnut bodies with bright blue bills. In winter, they are dull gray-brown above and paler below with dull gray bills. Females and first-year males are brownish, somewhat like winter males but with a blurry stripe across the pale cheek patch. It is separable from the ruddy duck by its all-black face and larger size.
Their breeding habitat is marshy lakes and ponds. They nest in dense marsh vegetation near water. The female builds the nest out of grass, locating it in tall vegetation to hide it from predators. A typical brood contains 5 to 15 ducklings.
These birds dive and swim underwater. They mainly eat seeds and roots of aquatic plants, aquatic... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 4 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cochabamba | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Bogota | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | La Paz | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 4 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sedgwick County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Chester Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | San Francisco Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Queens Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Andean Ruddy Duck sighting in La Paz on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 45th most-seen of the 88 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Andean Ruddy Duck in La Paz on a given day, against under 5% in March and November, the lowest months. Those are among La Paz's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in June.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Andean Ruddy Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Andean Ruddy Duck sightings, La Paz ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Cochabamba (Bolivia, about 40%) and Bogota (Colombia, about 20%).
Same family: Anatidae
The closest relatives of the Andean Ruddy Duck that you can see in La Paz (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 20%), Puna Teal (about 10%) and Cinnamon Teal (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Andean Ruddy Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in La Paz (30 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
