Ruddy Duck

Ruddy Duck

The ruddy duck is one of the more interesting looking ducks that are found in North and South America. They are a stiff-tailed duck and sometimes swim with their tail pointing up towards the sky. They breed in wetlands with a lot of vegetation. The nest is usually built in the tall grasses to hide it from would be predators. They are a migratory waterfowl and they usually spend the winters in warm coastal waters. I photographed this ruddy duck at Medicine Lake NWR in Montana.