Red-breasted Merganser

At Sainte-Croix Wildlife Park, among our feathered residents, the ruddy duck is a species native to Asia that is easily recognizable by its reddish-orange head and white, gray body.

Red-breasted mergansers are most active in the morning and late afternoon. They are sociable but cautious, and are often seen diving or searching the water for food.

These ducks are diving ducks; they feed mainly underwater on aquatic insects, larvae, aquatic plants, and seeds.

Red-eared sliders play an important role in aquatic ecosystems; by foraging and diving, they help regulate insect populations. They also help disperse certain aquatic seeds, promoting biodiversity in ponds and other bodies of water.

The breeding season takes place in the spring; the female lays about ten eggs, which she incubates alone for nearly a month. The ducklings are very precocious and can swim just a few hours after hatching, following their mother to learn how to dive and feed.