Photo by BarrytheBirder
RUDDY DUCK
Carving by Jim Harkness ~ 1982
Early in the last century, this very sprightly duck was known, among other names, as the 'Bumble Bee Coot'. The name came about because of the duck's rapid flight with its stiff, short wings that produced a buzzing sound. But this duck also had many names in the early 1900s, including Broad-bill Dipper, Bull-neck, Stiff-tail and Bristle-tail, among many others. It rarely flies and must vigorously patter across the surface of water to get airborne. It does not walk on land, but it is an agile and powerful diver and swimmer. It is an uncommon spring and fall migrant, and rare breeder in Ontario.
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BarrytheBirder
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