Dictionary

ruddy duck en · NOUN

Etymology

From ruddy (“reddish”) + duck, referring to the rust-coloured body of the male.

Meanings

1. Oxyura jamaicensis, a small stifftail duck, the male of which has a rust-coloured body.
   • The decision was taken, supported by conservation organizations, that it was necessary to save the white-headed duck species by exterminating all members of the ruddy duck species in Europe, which meant mainly in the UK, where there were an estimated 6000 ruddy ducks in 2000. 2010, Jacky Turner, Animal Breeding, Welfare and Society, unnumbered page:
   • Except when migrating, the ruddy duck seldom flies.[…]If disturbed by a predator, the ruddy duck dives to escape. 2004, Laurie E. Likoff, The Encyclopedia of Birds, volume 1, page 802:
   • Since hybridization with the ruddy duck could lead to extinction of the white-headed duck, Spain began to kill its ruddy ducks. Trials to eliminate ruddy ducks from the U.K. began in 1999, and were overseen by a euphemistically named White-headed Duck Task Force. 2008, Roslyn M. Frank, Body, Language, and Mind: Sociocultural situatedness, volume 2, page 170:

Forms

Synonyms

sleepyhead

Translations (11)

ro rață jamaicană (Oxyura jamaicensis) · fr érismature rousse (Oxyura jamaicensis) · fo tonut skarvsont (Oxyura jamaicensis) · sv amerikansk kopparand (Oxyura jamaicensis) · tr kara başlı dikkuyruk (Oxyura jamaicensis) · nl rosse stekelstaart (Oxyura jamaicensis) · fi kuparisorsa (Oxyura jamaicensis) · ru америка́нская са́вка (Oxyura jamaicensis) · el ρουσομύτη (Oxyura jamaicensis) · da amerikansk skarveand (Oxyura jamaicensis) · pl sterniczka jamajska (Oxyura jamaicensis)