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 (male) March 27th, 2007 Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 2 (female) March 25th, 2007 Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 3 (female) March 25th, 2007 Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 4 (male) October 15th, 2006 Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Ruddy Duck 5 (male) March 22nd, 2007 Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 6 (male) March 25th, 2007 Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 7 (male) March 25th, 2007 Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 8 (male) March 25th, 2007 Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Ruddy Duck 9 (male) March 25th, 2007 Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 10 (male) July 5th, 2020 Hyde County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 11 (male) July 5th, 2020 Hyde County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 12 (male) July 5th, 2020 Hyde County, South Dakota

Ruddy Duck 13 (male) March 29th, 2020 Lincoln County, South Dakota	Ruddy Duck 14 (male) April 19th, 2019 Lake County, South Dakota