BUDDY DUCK 205 



Ruddy Duck 



Erismatura jamaicensis (Gmelin) 



Other names — Wiretail; Sprig-tail; Pin-tail, part; Dipper Duck; Spatterer; 

 Spatter; Erismatura rubida; Erismatura dominicensis. 



Description — Adult male in spring and early summer: Top and side of head 

 to below eye, and hind neck, glossy black, abruptly outlined; large conspicuous 

 patch on each side of head from base of bill to behind ear, pure white, the 

 two patches joined by narrow band of white across chin; iris "hazel" (Audubon, 

 1843, VI, p. 327); bill slaty blue; whole neck, sides of breast, back and upper 

 tail coverts rich reddish chestnut; rump dusky brown; upper tail coverts very 

 short, leaving the narrow tail feathers exposed nearly to their bases; tail 

 blackish brown; outer surface of closed wing dull dark brown, the coverts 

 finely "peppered" with light brown; flight feathers blackish brown; lining 

 of wing and axillars white, marked with grayish brown; under surface of flight 

 feathers pale brown; sides of body (beneath wings), and flanks, deep chestnut; 

 under surface of body grayish brown with broad feather tippings of silvery 

 white, the whole giving an effect of light silvery gray; breast often tinged 

 with pale rusty brown; under tail coverts pure white; feet "dull greyish-blue," 

 webs "dusky" (Audubon, loc. cit.)- Adult male in winter: Top and side of 

 head to below eye, and hind neck, blackish brown, minutely flecked with ashy 

 brown; patch on side of head white, as in summer; whole upper surface of 

 body dark brown, minutely peppered with ashy gray and chestnut; tail and 

 wings and lower surface as in summer; throat and broad collar around neck, 

 ashy brown. In any plumage wings and tail may be pale ashy due to wear 

 and fading. Total length (both sexes) "about 13.50-16.00" inches (343-406 

 mm.) (Ridgway, 1900, p. 113); folded wing 5.65-5.92 (143.5-150.0); bill along 

 culmen 1.48-1.68 (37.6-42.7); tarsus 1.27-1.36 (32.2-34.5) (ten specimens). 

 Adult female at all seasons: Top and side of head to below eye, blackish brown, 

 narrowly barred with reddish brown; rest of head grayish white except for 

 dusky stripe from corner of mouth to hind neck, paralleling margin of dark 

 area on top of head; bill slaty black; chin white; upper surface of body 

 brownish black, finely variegated with ashy or buffy brown; tail brownish 

 black; outer surface of closed wing dark brown; lining of wing and axillars 

 as in male; foreneck grayish brown; breast indistinctly barred with dull black 

 and yellowish brown, sometimes appearing rusty; feathers of lower surface 

 ashy brown at bases, tipped with silvery white, the former color sometimes 

 showing through and giving a barred effect; middle of belly lightest; under tail 

 coverts white. Folded wing 5.50-5.75 inches (139.5-146 mm.) ; bill along culmen 

 1.57-1.68 (39.8-42.7); tarsus 1.20-1.31 (30.4-33.2) (ten specimens); all from 

 California. Juvenile plumage: Similar to that of adult female. Natal plumage: 

 Top and sides of head, whole upper surface of body, sides, flanks, foreneck, 

 and upper breast blackish brown, darkest on top of head and lightest on fore- 

 neck; stripe from side of bill below eye to ear region, lower part of cheeks, 

 and chin, dull white; patch on side of back behind wing dull white; belly 

 grayish white; bill and feet (dried) black. 



Marks for field identification — Small size (slightly larger than a teal), 

 stout chunky build, flat head, short neck, broad flat bill, conspicuously white 

 cheek patches, short, exposed, "wire-like" tail, carried almost perpendicularly 

 to ijack, and absence of contrasted patch of white or color on wing. 



Voice — None (?) 



