Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.

With its whipped cream cheeks, black cap, “ruddy” chestnut back, and azure blue bill, a drake ruddy duck in breeding plumage may be the most cartoonishly charismatic of all waterfowl. It’s not just the color that makes a drake ruddy stand out; his rigid, often erect tail is distinctive among North American ducks. (The ruddy’s genus name is Oxyura, or “sharp tailed.”)

The Field Guide project provides me with regular surprises. The ruddy duck is an excellent case in point. Until I began the process of reviewing ruddy duck photos, it hadn’t occurred to me just how much of the bright cream color is visible in profile…at least, in *full* profile. Usually, these ducks are seen paddling on the water’s surface, with their underbelly obscured from view. That underbelly has plenty of light coloration, however, visible under the water. Additionally, close examination of a ruddy duck reveals a few different browns, the reddish chestnut, of course, but also a coffee and redwood.

Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).

Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.