Oxyura

Oxyura is a genus of ducks in the family Anatidae, commonly known as stiff-tailed ducks because of their upright, stiff tails. The name derives from Greek oxys meaning sharp and oura meaning tail. The genus currently includes four living species: Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala), Blue-billed Duck (Oxyura australis), and Maccoa Duck (Oxyura maccoa).

These ducks are medium-sized diving birds with compact bodies and relatively short wings. A distinctive feature is the stiff tail held upright above the water during swimming or diving. In breeding plumage, males often display more conspicuous head markings, while females are more cryptically colored and camouflaged.

Oxyura ducks inhabit freshwater wetlands such as lakes, marshes, and slow-moving rivers, often with dense emergent vegetation. They are primarily benthic feeders, diving to take aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates rather than feeding at the surface.

Reproduction involves nesting in dense vegetation near water. The female incubates the eggs and rears the young, with varying degrees of male parental involvement across species. The geographical range of the genus spans multiple continents: the Ruddy Duck is native to the Americas, the White-headed Duck to Europe, North Africa, and parts of Western Asia, the Blue-billed Duck to Australia, and the Maccoa Duck to southern Africa.

Conservation status varies by species and region; some populations have declined due to habitat loss, pollution, and hunting pressures. Overall, Oxyura represents a distinctive lineage of diving ducks adapted to wetlands, easily recognized by their stiff tails and contrasting plumage between sexes.