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2

Radjah Shelduck

(Tadorna radjah)
Alternate name(s): "White-headed Shelduck", "Burdekin Duck", "Mangrove Duck"
Aboriginal name(s): "mahdo" ("mardo")

Size: 49-61 cm
Weight: 930 g (male; avg), 840 g (female; avg); 0.6-1.1 kg (overall)
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Radjah Shelduck at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "rufitergum"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Radjah Shelduck (photo courtesy of L. & B. Booth)
[Darwin, NT, July 2010]

Frontal view of a male Radjah Shelduck in different light conditions (photo courtesy of L. & B. Booth)
[Darwin, NT, July 2010]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Radjah Shelduck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cairns, QLD, July 2018]

PAIR

Frontal view of a pair of Radjah Shelducks; the female, with the narrower breast band, is seen on the left
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Pair of Radjah Shelducks - male at the front (note the broad breast band) and female behind, with a narrower breast band
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Jingili Water Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2018]

Lateral view of a pair of Radjah Shelducks; the female, with the narrower breast band, is seen on the left
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Lateral view of a pair of Radjah Shelducks (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Dorsal view of a pair of Radjah Shelducks (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Sex unknown

Frontal/lateral view of two Radjah Shelducks; from the width of the breast band it is difficult to tell which sex either bird is
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Roseberry, Darwin, NT, January 2019]

Near-lateral view of two Radjah Shelducks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of two Radjah Shelducks (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Lateral view of a Radjah Shelduck on water
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a Radjah Shelduck on water
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Covey of Radjah Shelducks on a beach (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Tree Point Conservation Area, Shoal Bay, NT, March 2019]

Radjah Shelducks together with Magpie Geese and Grey Teals (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Karumba, QLD, September 2019]

Comparison between Radjah Shelducks and Australian White Ibises (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cairns, QLD, July 2018]

Lateral view of Radjah Shelducks in-flight, with views of both the upperwings and underwings; on the left a Black-tailed Godwit (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Radjah Shelducks in flight, with a view of their underwing pattern; for comparison, a Pacific Black Duck is also visible
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam CA, NT, August 2017]

Radjah Shelducks in flight, with a view of their upperwing pattern (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam CA, NT, August 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Family of Radjah Shelducks with 12 ducklings (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, February 2021]

Close-up view of 2 out of 12 Radjah Shelduck ducklings (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, February 2021]

Family of Radjah Shelducks (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, July 2020]

Radjah Shelduck ducklings (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a family of Radjah Shelducks trying to evade the photographer
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Dorsal view of a family of Radjah Shelducks, including three ducklings, trying to evade the photographer
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Food, Diet

Radjah Shelducks filter-feeding on the edge of submerged grassland
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

rajshel_pb_20201017.m4a rufitergum
(Top End, NT)
Contact calls? © PB
rajshel_pb_20230509.mp3 rufitergum
(Top End, NT)
Warning calls? © PB
rajshel_pb_20230509_2.mp3 rufitergum
(Top End, NT)
Warning calls? © PB
rajshel_pb_20230509_3.mp3 rufitergum
(Top End, NT)
Warning calls? © PB
rajshel_pb_20181007.m4a rufitergum
(Top End, NT)
Warning & alarm calls © PB
rajshel_20140817.m4a rufitergum
(Top End, NT)
Squabbling © MD
rajshel_20140817_2.m4a rufitergum
(Top End, NT)
Squabbling © MD

More Radjah Shelduck sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.