But in North America birders appreciate Ruddy Ducks for the rich colors and striking sky-blue bill of adult males and the highly entertaining courtship displays of breeding pairs.<\/p>\n
And for me personally, a photographer who loves to photograph interesting bird behaviors, Ruddy Ducks have another attraction. Despite their small size they’re considered to be “the most pugnacious of waterfowl”. They’re even known to chase rabbits feeding along the shoreline.<\/p>\n
A tiny duck chasing a rabbit is something I’d like to see. And photograph.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ruddy-duck-5471-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ruddy-duck-5471-ron-dudley\\"")
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This is the male of the pair I’ve been trying to photograph. During the non-breeding season male bill color is gray-black but this guy’s bill has already turned mostly blue.<\/p>\n
On those rare occasions when I do photograph male ruddys up close their dark eyes usually almost disappear in the blacks of the tops of their heads so I was happy to get a distinct eye, with catchlight, in this photo.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ruddy-duck-5461-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ruddy-duck-5461-ron-dudley\\"")
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Here’s his mate. Ruddy Ducks usually don’t pair up and bond until a little later in the year but these two were almost joined at the hip. Where the male went the female nearly always followed but sometimes it was vice versa.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ruddy-duck-4942-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ruddy-duck-4942-ron-dudley\\"")
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Here’s a look at some of the male’s ventral plumage that is usually hidden in the water.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ruddy-duck4714-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ruddy-duck")
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Ruddy Ducks are most aggressive when they’re actively breeding but while I was with them the female demonstrated that aggression isn’t limited to the breeding season, or to the males. While I had my lens on her she suddenly began chasing another bird across the water. I got many photos of her skittering across the water and in most of them her bill was open in apparent anger.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ruddy-duck4718-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ruddy-duck")
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I didn’t know what she was chasing until this shot that included the recipient of her aggression – a Pied-billed Grebe making its getaway. The photo needs clockwise rotation but if I applied it I’d lose most of the female ruddy at the right edge of the photo. As it is I only have her head.<\/p>\n
I wish the grebe had its head turned toward me because I like that big bubble.<\/p>\n
These may not be great photos but for me some of them are pretty darn good, considering that they’re of Ruddy Ducks. Our ponds still haven’t frozen up so maybe they’ll stick around for a while.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
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Note: In 1926 J.C. Phillips, an American hunter, zoologist, ornithologist and environmentalist, had this to say about the Ruddy Duck.<\/p>\n
\u201cIts intimate habits, its stupidity, its curious nesting customs and ludicrous courtship performance place it in a niche by itself. Even its eggs are unique in appearance and are deposited in a slip-shod, irregular manner that is most extraordinary. Everything about this bird is interesting to the naturalist, but almost nothing about it is interesting to the sportsman.<\/em>“<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ruddy Ducks – the most pugnacious and aggressive of waterfowl.<\/p>\n