NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
♂ Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck, North Carolina.
Dick Daniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 320 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) is a species of duck, one of six extant species of stiff-tailed duck (genus Oxyura). In the 1940s, the ruddy duck was introduced to the United Kingdom, where it established a population. Outside the Americas, the ruddy duck is considered a highly invasive species, prompting many countries to initiate culling projects to eradicate it from the native ecosystem.
The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek oxus meaning "sharp", and oura meaning "tail". The specific name jamaicensis means "from Jamaica". The ruddy duck has also been nicknamed "butterball", a term used to describe an individual that is somewhat fat, due to its short and stout stature making activities like flying and walking upright awkward.
Wikipedia contributors, Ruddy duck; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:02:54.586546+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Oxyura jamaicensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
- Name authority
- (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
- Common name
- Ruddy Duck
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Oxyura
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderAnseriformes
- familyAnatidae Leach, 1820
- genusOxyura Bonaparte, 1828
- speciesOxyura jamaicensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Oxyura. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Blue-billed DuckOxyura australis Gould, 1837 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Andean DuckOxyura ferruginea (Eyton, 1838) | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-headed DuckOxyura leucocephala (Scopoli, 1769) | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Maccoa DuckOxyura maccoa (Eyton, 1838) | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lake DuckOxyura vittata (Philippi, 1860) | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Oxyura jamaicensis rubida (A. Wilson, 1814) (A. Wilson, 1814) | synonym |
| Anas jamaicensis J. F. Gmelin, 1789 J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | synonym |
| Oxyura jamaicensis jamaicensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
North America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=175175 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4BMPH. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.