WhenToBird

Oxyura jamaicensis · Anatidae

When Do Ruddy Ducks Arrive in Connecticut?

Adult male Ruddy Duck
Photo: Anne Parsons, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

Ruddy Ducks are winter birds in Connecticut: they arrive in the second week of October, peak in the second week of November (4.1% of checklists), and most are gone by early February.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 8-14the second week of October
Common byOct 8-14the second week of October
PeakNov 8-14the second week of November
Most gone byFeb 1-7early February

Best: the second week of November. First arrivals the second week of October; most are gone by early February. Peak: on about 4.1% of Connecticut checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Apruncommon
  5. Maynot usually seen
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Deccommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 1.9% of 18950 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.6% of 13676 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.5% of 13377 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.3% of 17004 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.0% of 10218 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.8% of 11568 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.4% of 15916 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.5% of 11413 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.9% of 10754 checklistsMar 8-14: 1.1% of 12051 checklistsMar 15-21: 1.1% of 12616 checklistsMar 22-31: 1.0% of 17801 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.8% of 13186 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.6% of 14428 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.4% of 14738 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.3% of 21753 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.2% of 22494 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.1% of 23363 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 20219 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 20778 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.1% of 12234 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.1% of 12491 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.1% of 10856 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.1% of 11964 checklistsJul 1-7: 0% of 9437 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 8599 checklistsJul 15-21: 0% of 8252 checklistsJul 22-31: 0% of 11329 checklistsAug 1-7: 0% of 8116 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.1% of 8051 checklistsAug 15-21: 0% of 8502 checklistsAug 22-31: 0% of 13673 checklistsSep 1-7: 0% of 9873 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.1% of 9735 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.1% of 10120 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.1% of 12543 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.3% of 10735 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.6% of 10869 checklistsOct 15-21: 2.2% of 10436 checklistsOct 22-31: 3.0% of 13808 checklistsNov 1-7: 3.7% of 10507 checklistsNov 8-14: 4.4% of 9827 checklistsNov 15-21: 4.3% of 9904 checklistsNov 22-30: 3.3% of 13396 checklistsDec 1-7: 3.1% of 8974 checklistsDec 8-14: 2.5% of 9468 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.8% of 11614 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.8% of 16616 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Connecticut that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

Embed this map on your site

Where in Connecticut

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Litchfield CountyBest mid November · 1043 checklists that week, 69,766 in all11%
  2. Tolland CountyBest early November · 711 checklists that week, 39,004 in all7.9%
  3. Hartford CountyBest the second week of November · 1643 checklists that week, 105,735 in all6.9%
  4. Middlesex CountyBest early January · 1226 checklists that week, 39,919 in all5.8%
  5. Windham CountyBest the second week of November · 231 checklists that week, 19,034 in all4.6%
  6. Fairfield CountyBest late January · 4195 checklists that week, 139,848 in all2.7%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Andover LakeTolland County, best early November · 21 checklists that week, 206 in all97%
  2. Hartford Reservoir Number 6Hartford County, best the second week of November · 36 checklists that week, 1,317 in all85%
  3. South CoveMiddlesex County, best late December · 33 checklists that week, 392 in all76%
  4. Bantam LakeLitchfield County, best early November · 76 checklists that week, 2,470 in all72%
  5. Columbia LakeTolland County, best mid March · 21 checklists that week, 278 in all68%
  6. Trap Falls ReservoirFairfield County, best late December · 27 checklists that week, 231 in all67%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Connecticut, the Ruddy Duck is most often listed on checklists started between 12 and 2 pm (1.3% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%1.5%12 am: too few checklists (325) to judge1 am: too few checklists (367) to judge2 am: too few checklists (488) to judge3 am: too few checklists (792) to judge4 am: too few checklists (2722) to judge5 am: too few checklists (9489) to judge6 am: 1.5% of 33657 checklists7 am: 0.9% of 62964 checklists8 am: 0.6% of 70645 checklists9 am: 0.8% of 64870 checklists10 am: 1.0% of 58827 checklists11 am: 1.1% of 51689 checklists12 pm: 1.2% of 45288 checklists1 pm: 1.3% of 44765 checklists2 pm: 1.2% of 44173 checklists3 pm: 1.1% of 41979 checklists4 pm: 0.7% of 33219 checklists5 pm: 0.3% of 24828 checklists6 pm: 0.2% of 15856 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (8126) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (1994) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (533) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (349) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (286) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January1.9%1.6%1.5%1.3%
February1.0%0.8%0.4%0.5%
March0.9%1.1%1.1%1.0%
April0.8%0.6%0.4%0.3%
May0.2%0.1%0.1%0.1%
June0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
July0%0.1%0%0%
August0%0.1%0%0%
September0%0.1%0.1%0.1%
October0.3%0.6%2.2%3.0%
November3.7%4.4%4.3%3.3%
December3.1%2.5%1.8%1.8%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives late September, 2 weeks earlier than Connecticut
  • Massachusetts: arrives the second week of October, in the same week than Connecticut
  • New Jersey: arrives early October, 1 week earlier than Connecticut
  • New York: arrives early October, 1 week earlier than Connecticut

Common questions

When do Ruddy Ducks arrive in Connecticut?
Ruddy Ducks are winter birds in Connecticut: they arrive in the second week of October, peak in the second week of November (4.1% of checklists), and most are gone by early February.
When do Ruddy Ducks leave Connecticut?
Most Ruddy Ducks have left Connecticut by early February, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Ruddy Duck in Connecticut?
The Ruddy Duck is reported most often in the second week of November, on about 4.1% of Connecticut checklists.
Where in Connecticut are Ruddy Ducks seen most often?
By county, Litchfield County, Tolland County, and Hartford County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Ruddy Duck (counties with at least 200 checklists).