Jan 21, 2025

The Tale of the Radiant Ruddy Duck

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What bird blows bubbles to the ladies to attract attention and develops a bright-blue beak during the spring season? Ruddy ducks! One was recently released after being treated at the Wildlife Center.

Ruddy Duck #24-3274, was admitted on December 2nd, 2024 and was the first of its species to come into DCHS’s Wildlife Center in over 10 years. Ruddy ducks are common waterfowl in the Midwest, but they rarely come close to people. This duck made a surprising appearance at the home of someone who lived in a more rural part of Dane County, close to Halfway Prairie in Mazomanie, Wis. The homeowner’s dog discovered the duck under their porch and held it in its mouth briefly before presenting it to them. They had no idea how long the duck had been there, but it appeared to have dried blood on its chest from a prior injury – one that potentially caused it to become grounded originally and made it search for a safe place to hide. They carefully collected the duck and brought him to DCHS for evaluation. 

A full physical exam and diagnostics were performed the next morning after giving pain medications and basic stabilization. Wildlife Veterinary Technician, Erin Lemley (CVT) described his condition, stating that the duck was:  

“Bright, alert, and responsive (BAR) and bitey. He scoots around in the cage and bears weight on both legs. He tries to hide in his water dish or under the dry dock but started preening once people were not visible. Blood was noticed on feathers the day before, but today only small amounts were found near both elbows. Small amounts of blood are present around the edges of the mouth, but there are no other obvious places where it was coming from. The bird possibly preened blood onto its feathers with its beak. The pubic bones feel uneven but unlikely fractured. The left rectrices #3 and #4 are missing, and left primary #4 is broken. Waterproofing appears normal, and he is a male in non-breeding plumage.”

Top Photo: Ruddy Duck #24-3274 housed in a temporary cage ahead of his initial exam. Above: Ruddy Duck #24-3274 resting comfortably in the water. If you look closely, you can see missing tail feathers from its original injury. Photo credit: Lesley Haven

He also showed further signs of respiratory compromise. As Erin listened to the duck with a stethoscope, she could hear “slightly harsh respiratory sounds” that needed further evaluation. An abnormality like that can be suggestive of several conditions such as internal bleeding, organ damage, a fungal infection (e.g., aspergillosis), or other distinctive problem (e.g., parasites, fluid build-up, etc.). Baseline bloodwork was analyzed and isoflurane anesthesia was administered for the duck to undergo radiographs, or x-rays. Diagnostics were then assessed by Dr. Alyssa Scagnelli, Clinical Instructor of Zoological Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, as part of our Wildlife Medicine Program partnership to best treat the Ruddy Duck moving forward.  

After reviewing the radiographs to determine if any other injuries could be identified or confirmed, Dr. Scagnelli agreed that increased opacity was visible in the lung fields, especially on the right side. While aspergillosis could not be ruled out, internal trauma was suspected, and more likely, because lung lesions were detected. 

Left: Radiographs of Ruddy Duck #24-3274. Right: Sneak-peak photo of Ruddy Duck #24-3274 swimming in the diving-duck enclosure.

Rehabilitators felt a hands-off approach with cage rest would be best to allow the waterfowl to heal from his internal bleeding, lung contusions, and broken feathers. The Ruddy Duck was moved to a diving-duck swimming enclosure inside the Richard A. Grum Sundance Center, where the bird could access fresh water that continuously ran from a hose into a deep tub. Excess surface-contaminants, like oil or debris, would fall over the edge of the water into an overflow grill and run down into the floor drain. Staff, interns, and volunteers offered the duck a variety of invertebrates like mealworms, crickets, blood worms, and brine shrimp in a floating bowl. Since this species often dives to catch prey, but also dabbles some, different food items were added through the course of its stay to encourage natural eating habits. Each day, the duck was monitored for weight gain, and his diet was adjust based on the value. Our team of veterinarians performed additional medical evaluations until it could be cleared for release.

Fall semester (2024) Wildlife Rehabilitation Intern, Brooke Hooper, had the honor of releasing this Ruddy Duck, commenting, "I had never seen a ruddy duck before he came to us! He was the meanest little guy, and as soon as he saw the water he took off running. I think it's just so fulfilling to see the wildlife thrive after all they've been through!"

Fun Facts About Ruddy Ducks

  1. Male ruddy ducks use air trapped under their chest feathers to blow bubbles to the ladies, and they make popping noises with their feet as they run on the water! 
     
  2. Males have an “alternate plumage” where their bills turn bright blue in the spring! The bright colors are thought to attract females. 
     
  3. Ruddy Ducks belong to the family of stiff-tailed ducks, named for their stiff tail that acts like a rudder. It also describes the rusty-red breeding plumage of males. 

Want to learn more? Visit https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Duck/lifehistory  

 

Jackie Sandberg is the Wildlife Program Manager at DCHS's Wildlife Center.

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The Tale of the Radiant Ruddy Duck

What bird blows bubbles to the ladies to attract attention and develops a bright-blue beak during the spring season? Ruddy ducks! One was recently released after being treated at the Wildlife Center.

Full Story