[airborneduckhunter]

Late last season I hunted a new lake I had never hunted before. I was able to take a few ruddies and was curious when the breeding phase plumage goes away? I am in Louisiana and shot them in mid January. I looked hard at the rafts of birds that I saw did not see any with the bright blue bills.

 

[phutch30]

There is the occasional colored up drake in mid-late Jan, But most don't get color till about mid Feb

 

[Phytoplankton]

Ruddy's are members of the "masked duck" family and get their breeding plumage 180 degrees off most other birds, i.e., when mallards are in eclipse, ruddy's are are in breeding plumage. During our season the only difference between drakes and hens is the black cap on the top of the head and how white the cheek patch is, hens don't have the black cap, and their cheek patch is has streaks of black or gray in them.

 

[airborneduckhunter]

Thanks for the replies