Tadorna variegata
The Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata) is a striking, large goose-like duck endemic to New Zealand, exhibiting pronounced sexual dimorphism that makes it instantly recognizable. Males are predominantly slate-grey to black with an iridescent dark green head and neck, often sporting a distinctive white patch on the secondary coverts, and chestnut undertail coverts. They typically measure 63-69 cm (25-27 inches) in length and weigh around 1.5-2 kg (3.3-4.4 lbs). In stark contrast, females are...
Found primarily in open country, including grasslands, agricultural lands, cultivated pastures, and open tussocklands, always in proximity to fresh or brackish water bodies such as lakes, rivers, ponds, and estuaries. They inhabit elevations from sea level up to subalpine regions.
Predominantly herbivorous, their diet consists mainly of grasses, clover, and agricultural crops like wheat, barley, and turnips, supplemented occasionally by aquatic vegetation and small invertebrates found while grazing.
Paradise Shelducks are largely diurnal, spending much of their day grazing in open fields and resting near water. They forage with a characteristic goose-like grazing action, often plucking grass, clover, and crop seedlings. During the breeding season, pairs are fiercely territorial, defending th...
The Paradise Shelduck is endemic to New Zealand, widely distributed across both the North and South Islands, as well as several smaller offshore islands. It is a resident species throughout its range, exhibiting no significant migratory patterns, though local movements between feeding and roostin...
Least Concern
- The Paradise Shelduck is New Zealand's only endemic shelduck species, found nowhere else in the world. - They form strong, monogamous pair bonds that often last for life, with pairs frequently returning to the same nesting sites year after year. - Unlike most duck species where the male is more...