Summer food and feeding of the ruddy duck in Manitoba

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Abstract
The food and feeding habits of adult and juvenile ruddy ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) in southwestern Manitoba were studied during June–August 1971. Animal material predominated in the diets of the birds. The basic diets of adult males and females, as well as ducklings of all ages, were similar. Larval and pupal midges (Tendipedidae), especially Chironomus, constituted the main food item. The quantity of grit in the gizzards increased with the age of the ducklings. There was no significant difference between the average quantities of grit retained by male and female adult birds. Ruddy ducks, of all ages, forage almost exclusively by diving and straining food organisms from the soft muddy ooze on the bottoms of ponds. Foraging ruddy ducks appear to select areas relatively rich in midge larvae.

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