Ruddy Duck

A once common introduced winter visitor at CVL and BL with a largest count of 1,064 at CVL on 1st March, 1987, but scarce elsewhere. 

However, it is classed as an invasive non-native (alien) species and regular culls by environmental agencies means the species is now almost extinct nationally.

The first published local record was in 1957 when a young male was at CVL in November but there may have been earlier records as the 1958 SBR states, under Long-tailed Duck ‘we know of several instances where birds have been identified as being of this species when they were, in fact, North American Ruddy Ducks, some of which have reached the reservoirs as ‘escapes’ from the Wildfowl Trust’. 

Numbers increased to four males during the subsequent winter and they were also seen at BL, with an additional male at BG during the 57-58 winter. All were considered to be escapes from Slimbridge, see King (1961)

In 1960 there were three males at BL and four males at CVL for the greater part of the year and three females or immatures appeared at CVL in December. In 1961 birds were noted at BL and CVL in most months with up to eight at CVL and five at BL and they bred at CVL where a pair with six or seven ducklings were seen on May 18th and June 3rd. In 1962 up to six (4 males) were at CVL between January and May and a pair with fully grown juvenile were present on June 30th.

Numbers subsequently grew, particularly during the 1970s where wintering numbers increased tenfold, and peaked in the 1980s at over 1,000. Detailed counts from the main site, CVL, were not published during the 1990s but Vinicombe (2020) gives a second peak in 1995 and 1996 with maximum counts in both years of 915.

At the start of this century the maximum wintering counts were still above 500 but these started to drop away rapidly after 2003, largely because of national culls. These were initially trialled during 1999 – 2002 and then fully enacted from September 2005 until at least August 2010. There were 14 culls locally between 2006 and 2009 which resulted in 283 individuals being shot, see 2009 ABR. There were additional local culls in February 2015 (two) and January 2016 which shot a total of 4 individuals, see 2016 ABR.

The species also bred locally in small numbers with the last local breeding in 2008 (two sites, three broods).

It is now a rare vagrant with four recent records as follows;

2016 – a drake a CVL from September 11th until 15th when shot

2017 – a female at Backwell Lake on May 20th

2020 – a mobile female at CVL and BL between October 6th and November 12th

2024 – four at CVL from August 13th until 21st with one remaining until October 26th