Tadorna ferruginea
The Ruddy Shelduck, *Tadorna ferruginea*, is a striking and distinctive waterfowl species, measuring 58-70 cm in length with a wingspan of 110-135 cm and weighing between 920-1640g. Its most notable feature is its vibrant rusty-orange plumage covering most of its body, contrasting sharply with a paler, buffy head and neck, black primary and secondary flight feathers, and a prominent white wing patch (speculum) visible in flight. Males in breeding plumage typically exhibit a thin black collar ...
Found primarily in freshwater and brackish wetlands, including steppe lakes, large rivers, and estuaries, often in open, arid, or semi-arid landscapes. They can be found from sea level up to elevations of 4000 meters in mountainous regions.
An omnivorous species, their diet primarily consists of seeds, grains, grasses, and aquatic vegetation, supplemented with insects, larvae, small crustaceans, and other invertebrates. They forage by grazing on land, dabbling, and up-ending in shallow water.
Ruddy Shelducks are largely diurnal, spending their days foraging and often roosting on open water bodies or sandbanks. Their foraging strategy involves grazing on land, dabbling in shallow water, and occasionally up-ending like a true duck. During the breeding season, they become highly territor...
The Ruddy Shelduck boasts a broad but somewhat disjunct breeding range extending across Southeast Europe, Central Asia, Mongolia, and parts of China. Major breeding strongholds include areas around the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and central Asian steppes, often at considerable elevations. During the...
Least Concern
- Known as the 'Brahminy Duck' in India, it is often considered sacred and features prominently in local folklore and religious traditions. - Unlike most waterfowl, Ruddy Shelducks frequently nest far from water, utilizing tree hollows, abandoned burrows of other animals, and rock crevices. - The...