Ruddy Duck

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Ruddy Duck in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 939 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 97th most-seen of the 232 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Ruddy Duck in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

April and December. In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, against under 5% in January–March and May–November, the lowest months.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Ruddy Duck?

Between 9 am and noon. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ruddy Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Minneapolis [Saint Paul] the best place to see a Ruddy Duck?

23rd of 40. Of the 40 cities where we can rate Ruddy Duck sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] ranks 23rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Ciudad Juárez (México, about 80%), Tijuana (México, about 40%) and Mesa (United States, about 40%).

Q: Which relatives of the Ruddy Duck live in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Same family: Anatidae. The closest relatives of the Ruddy Duck that you can see in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 70%), Canada Goose (about 60%) and Wood Duck (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Ruddy Duck sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Ruddy Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (939 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.

Oxyura jamaicensis

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
GenusOxyura (Stiff-tailed Ducks)
SpeciesOxyura jamaicensis (Ruddy Duck)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

939 Verified sightings at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

5,773 In all 28 parks From 2019 to 2026

April Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the 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.

The ruddy duck was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the other ducks, geese and swans in the genus Anas and coined the binomial name Anas jamaicensis. Gmelin based his description on the "Jamaica shoveler" that had been described in 1785 by the English ornithologist John Latham from a specimen that he... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call1:25

United States · 2021

Song0:40

Mexico · 2018

Call0:24

United States · 2021

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 49 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
2	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
3	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
4	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
5	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
6	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
7	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
8	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
9	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
10	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
11	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
12	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
13	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
14	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
15	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
16	Padre Island National Seashore	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
17	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
18	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
19	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
20	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
21	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
22	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
23	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
24	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
25	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
26	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
27	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
28	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Ciudad Juárez	🇲🇽 México	~80%
2	Tijuana	🇲🇽 México	~40%
3	Mesa	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
4	León	🇲🇽 México	~30%
5	Las Vegas	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
6	San Francisco	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
7	Los Angeles	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
8	Mexico City	🇲🇽 México	~20%
9	San Diego	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
10	New York City	🇺🇸 United States	~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Disney's Animal Kingdom	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	SeaWorld Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	Busch Gardens Tampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	National Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
6	Shedd Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
7	Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
8	Zoo Pilsen	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
9	Parc des oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
10	Abilene Zoological Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
11	Ecomuseum Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
12	Zoo Miami	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
13	Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
14	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
15	Sedgwick County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
16	The Maryland Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
17	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	Birmingham Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
19	Hellabrunn Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
20	Saint Louis Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
21	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
22	San Francisco Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
23	ZooTampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
24	Fort Worth Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
25	Oregon Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
26	Houston Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
27	Centro Cicogne e Anatidi	🇮🇹 Italy	In captivity
28	San Antonio Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	Cleres Zoological Park	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
30	Lincoln Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
31	Biotropica	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
32	The Abilene Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
33	Discovery Cove	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
34	Queens Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
35	Bramble Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
36	Bird Park Steinen	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
37	St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
38	Tracy Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
39	Aquarium of the Pacific	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
40	Aquarium of the Americas	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
41	Florida Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
42	National Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
43	Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
44	Aquarium Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
45	Bird Alliance of Oregon	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
46	Tierpark Schlichtweg 15 in München	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
47	Wild Bird Fund	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
48	Zoo Schlichtweg 11 in München	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
49	Zoo Siebenbrunner Straße 6 in München	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity

Show all 49 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Branta canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Aix sponsa

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Lophodytes cucullatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cygnus buccinator

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Bucephala albeola

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Spatula discors

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Anas fulvigula

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya collaris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Mergus merganser

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Histrionicus histrionicus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya affinis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Ruddy Duck in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 939 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 97th most-seen of the 232 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Ruddy Duck in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

April and December

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Duck in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, against under 5% in January–March and May–November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Ruddy Duck?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ruddy Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Minneapolis [Saint Paul] the best place to see a Ruddy Duck?

23rd of 40

Of the 40 cities where we can rate Ruddy Duck sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] ranks 23rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Ciudad Juárez (México, about 80%), Tijuana (México, about 40%) and Mesa (United States, about 40%).

Which relatives of the Ruddy Duck live in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Same family: Anatidae

The closest relatives of the Ruddy Duck that you can see in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 70%), Canada Goose (about 60%) and Wood Duck (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Ruddy Duck sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ruddy Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (939 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.

← Back to Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

Ruddy Duck

About the Ruddy Duck

Sounds

Recent sightings of Ruddy Duck in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

Mallard

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Hooded Merganser

Trumpeter Swan

Bufflehead

Blue-winged Teal

Mottled Duck

Ring-necked Duck

Common Merganser

Harlequin Duck

Lesser Scaup

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Ruddy Duck in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

When is the best time to see a Ruddy Duck in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

What time of day is best to see a Ruddy Duck?

Is Minneapolis [Saint Paul] the best place to see a Ruddy Duck?

Which relatives of the Ruddy Duck live in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Where does the Ruddy Duck sighting chance come from?