Ruddy Duck vs Blue-billed Teal
Oxyura jamaicensis compared with Spatula hottentota
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ruddy Duck | Blue-billed Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Oxyura jamaicensis | Spatula hottentota |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.9 cm (11.0 in) | 29.4 cm (11.6 in) |
| Weight | 586.6666666666666 g (20.69 oz) | 269.2 g (9.50 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for aquatic plant seeds, roots, and invertebrates in freshwater marshes. Uses stiff tail as … | Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … |
| Clutch Size | 5-15 | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Blue-billed Teal
Freshwater lakes, marshes, pans, and flooded grasslands across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Sudan south to the Cape. Nomadic; follows seasonal rains. Common but easily overlooked among reed beds.
Song & Call Comparison
Ruddy Duck
Male produces a mechanical, drumming bok-bok-bok staccato beat; female gives a harsh, nasal quack. The male's rapid drum-roll call on the bill during display is startlingly loud and distinctive.
Blue-billed Teal
Male utters a soft, teal-like peep; female gives a muted quack. Pairs call quietly in dense papyrus; soft contact calls help birds maintain proximity in thick African marsh vegetation.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ruddy Duck
Breeds across interior North America from western Canada south to Mexico. Winters on coasts and inland waters south to northern South America.
Blue-billed Teal
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic Eurasia; winters at sea in the North Atlantic and from western Europe to eastern Africa.
Conservation Status
Ruddy Duck
Blue-billed Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Ruddy Duck
Breeding male has vivid rufous-chestnut body, black crown, white cheeks, and bright sky-blue bill; stiff tail often cocked upright. Female is dull brown with pale cheek crossed by single dark …
Blue-billed Teal
Small; males have pale blue-gray bill contrasting with brown-gray body. Head finely spotted; underparts barred brown and white. Males show powder-blue forewing in flight. Females browner. African marsh species.
About These Birds
Ruddy Duck
A compact stiff-tailed diving duck (~590 g) in family Anatidae, males chestnut-bodied with a sky-blue bill in breeding season. Native to North and South America; an introduced invasive in Europe threatening the White-headed Duck through hybridization. Breeds on freshwater marshes; dives for aquatic plants and invertebrates. Least Concern in native range.
Blue-billed Teal
A small dark teal with blue-grey bill and legs, brown-streaked plumage, and fine pale spotting on the flanks. The most widespread teal in sub-Saharan Africa. Found on freshwater lakes and marshes. Highly nomadic; follows seasonal rainfall. Swims low in the water like a pochard.