You may be wondering, “How did we get back on Ruddy Ducks?” Or not. Either way there are a couple of things about them I think you should know.
Boring fact No. 1
Female ruddy ducks can sometimes be “brood parasites.” That’s the equivalent of leaving their baby on a doorstep… “See-ya.” More precisely they lay their eggs in another bird’s nest. Without being invited. And very big eggs at that. A saving grace is the youngsters take off a few days after they hatch so at least the host-bird doesn’t have to send them to college.
Boring fact No. 2
You may have noticed the ruddy feathers, blue beak, and white spot on this breeding Ruddy Duck. They’ve been called ridiculous. Comical. Worse. They don’t care. The colors are there for a reason. You see Ruddy Ducks could be called rude ducks. They’re belligerent. To other Ruddies. Other birds. Even mammals. They go out of their way to find trouble. Especially in breeding season. The colors say, “Yeah. I’m bad.” But females go wild over them. They don’t see him as a threat. ‘Sure he’s a little on the wild side. He can even play a little rough sometimes. But when the chips are down he’s my guy.’ And he is. He will defend her and her nest (unless she dumped the eggs somewhere else) viciously.
The colors make her feel safe. The way some girls do with a big muscly guy. With tattoos.
And a pit bull.
