ruddy duck question

[luciengwin4]

Yesterday morning i killed my first ruddy duck and first buffelhead in the same hunt i was very excited to say the least. We don't get many chances to kill those kinds of birds in south MS. i found a picture on the site of a ruddy that was killed on jan 2 and it had the burgandy color all over mine was killed on jan 26 and is brown. Can anyone tell me why this is? i tried to post pics of both ducks but i couldn't figure it out. Any info would be appreciated.

[TWinter]

Is your duck a hen?

[jwprentice1]

The Ruddy with the Burgundy just had not changed to Fall plumage. The Ruddy with Brown plumage is what they look like during the Winter. As Spring approaches they change into nuptial coloring. The Males bill will turn Blue. Very rare to see a Summer Ruddy in the Winter time or during hunting season.

[Glass eye]

Jan 2....sounds like it was mine. That was the 2nd red ruddy that I had killed, the 1st was on Dec 8 1999. Last year I killed 2 more at the end of Jan. and I had knocked down a 3rd one but he made it to shoreline where I lost him. In all I've shot 5 but recovered 4. Never took field pics of the 1st one. All were taken near the Mexican border, I've never seen them in color during season anywhere else and I've shot everyone I've seen. I don't pass on red ruddies.

[Glass eye]

 

[luciengwin4]

My duck was a drake and glass eye that is your picture I saw I just can't figure out why your duck was killed earlier in the year than mine and has such good color and mine is so brown

[Glass eye]

My duck was a drake and glass eye that is your picture I saw I just can't figure out why your duck was killed earlier in the year than mine and has such good color and mine is so brown

I'm 49 and I began duck hunting when I was 12 and I've seen thousands of ruddies in that time, but I've only seen 5 red ruddies during season and all have been where I live now near the Mexican border in SoCal. One of the ruddies that I shot last year I first saw him at the start of the season and he had patches of red and slightly blue bill. He never left the pond and I watched him color out over the course of the season. So I know that in that particular bird, it was a case of him coloring out early, rather than being late to turn brown.

[grouse park]

Just my guess I have raised waterfowl for over 35 years . The Red ruddy from my past experience are birds that 5-7 years old or older
once they get that old they stay red year round . they moult spring color and get spring color back . at least they do in captivity.
snydersgrousepark.com
Dan

[luciengwin4]

Thanks for the info everyone that answered my question

[Doty-Taxidermy]

I shot one in Oct of 2010 and it was all brown just like yours and I asked the same questions. Glass eye was the one who gave me all the info I learned about them. Pretty much the same stuff he told you. I was just shocked to see one, let alone shoot it. It's the only one I've ever seen and even though it's a hen, I mounted it. Actually, just 2 days ago