Ruddy Ducks are winter birds in Mississippi: the first arrive in mid October, they are common by late October, peak in late November (6.1% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of March.
When to look
First arrivalsOct 15-21mid October
Common byOct 22-31late October
PeakNov 22-30late November
Most gone byMar 8-14the second week of March
Best: late November. First arrivals mid October; most are gone by the second week of March. Peak: on about 6.1% of Mississippi checklists.
Jancommon
Febcommon
Marcommon
Aprrare
Mayrare
Junrare
Julrare
Augrare
Seprare
Octuncommon
Novpeak season
Decpeak season
Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.
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 Mississippi 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
0%few checklistsno data
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.
Monroe CountyBest late October · 14 checklists that week, 581 in all67%
Yazoo CountyBest late September · 13 checklists that week, 440 in all52%
Yalobusha CountyBest early December · 17 checklists that week, 368 in all40%
Chickasaw CountyBest mid January · 10 checklists that week, 335 in all37%
Tunica CountyBest mid March · 10 checklists that week, 887 in all35%
Grenada CountyBest late November · 10 checklists that week, 393 in all35%
Best spots
Share of checklists at the peak
Bonita ReservoirLauderdale County, best late December · 21 checklists that week, 304 in all71%
Oktibbeha County LakeOktibbeha County, best late October · 21 checklists that week, 427 in all28%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In Mississippi, the Ruddy Duck is most often listed on checklists started between 1 and 3 pm (3.1% of those checklists).
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
Month
Days 1-7
8-14
15-21
22-end
January
4.3%
3.7%
4.4%
3.8%
February
3.4%
3.3%
2.5%
3.5%
March
2.7%
2.4%
1.7%
1.2%
April
0.4%
0.4%
0.5%
0.3%
May
0.3%
0.2%
0.3%
0.1%
June
0.4%
0.2%
0.4%
0.3%
July
0.5%
0.6%
0.4%
0.7%
August
0.4%
1.0%
0.8%
0.5%
September
0.4%
0.3%
0.4%
0.5%
October
0.1%
0.4%
0.8%
2.2%
November
3.7%
6.3%
6.1%
5.7%
December
6.4%
5.3%
5.5%
4.7%
Neighboring states
Alabama: arrives late October, 1 week later than Mississippi
Louisiana: arrives late October, 1 week later than Mississippi
Arkansas: arrives mid October, in the same week than Mississippi
Georgia: arrives late October, 1 week later than Mississippi
Common questions
When do Ruddy Ducks arrive in Mississippi?
Ruddy Ducks are winter birds in Mississippi: the first arrive in mid October, they are common by late October, peak in late November (6.1% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of March.
When do Ruddy Ducks leave Mississippi?
Most Ruddy Ducks have left Mississippi by the second week of March, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late March.
When is the best time to see a Ruddy Duck in Mississippi?
The Ruddy Duck is reported most often in late November, on about 6.1% of Mississippi checklists.
Where in Mississippi are Ruddy Ducks seen most often?
By county, Monroe County, Yazoo County, and Yalobusha County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Ruddy Duck (counties with at least 200 checklists).
