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Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah) Alternate name(s): "White-headed Shelduck", "Burdekin Duck", "Mangrove Duck" Aboriginal name(s): "mahdo" ("mardo") Size: 49-61 cm Body mass: 930 g (male; avg), 840 g (female; avg); 0.6-1.1 kg (overall)

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Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Radjah Shelducks are brown and white ducks with a flesh-pink bill. Head, neck and the front (breast, belly and vent) are white, except for a brown breast band. Mantle, wings and tail are brown, with the breast band being the lightest shade of brown, while the tail is darkest. The brown breast band is narrower in females than in males. The irises of both sexes are white, the legs and feet are flesh-pink. Juvenile Radjah Shelducks have a streaked grey cap and nape of the neck. Ducklings have a dark brown-grey cap and nape of the neck. Twitcher's tip Radjah Shelducks are easy to identify in the field, because - when seen from the front or side - they are the only near-white duck species in Australia, giving them an unmistakable "jizz".

Taxonomy, classification See Radjah Shelduck at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Radjah Shelduck is available HERE . Radjah Shelducks are tropical ducks whose range extends from Australia to New Guinea and eastern Indonesia. Race "rufitergum" is endemic to the Australian continent and is found in the tropical North of the NT and on Cape York peninsula, occasionally also further South along the East coast of QLD (to about the area of Bundaberg). In rare cases they are found further southward, not only along the coastline, but also in inland NSW. Radjah Shelducks usually stay in coastal wetlands, including mangrove and other swamps, but also flooded areas or mudflats inland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "rufitergum" We first spotted a Radjah Shelduck, race "rufitergum", at Fogg Dam CR, NT, in October 1997. Since then they have been seen by us, and are reported to us regularly by various contributors, from near-coastal areas of the Top End of the NT, in particular in and around Darwin, NT. J. Greaves reports spotting Radjah Shelducks, race "rufitergum", at the Kununurra, WA, sewage treatment works in January 2016. M. Eaton found Radjah Shelducks, race "rufitergum", in Cairns, QLD, in July 2018. Another was found at Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD, in November 2023. The species was found at the same location again in August 2025. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours spotted Radjah Shelducks, race "rufitergum", along the Daintree River, QLD, in July 2024.

Photos

Race "rufitergum"

ADULT

PAIR

Frontal view of a pair of Radjah Shelducks
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle. 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]

MALE

Frontal view of a male Radjah Shelduck; note the prominent, wide chest band (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]

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]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Radjah Shelduck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD, August 2025]

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

Close-up lateral view of a Radjah Shelduck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD, August 2025]

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

Lateral view of a Radjah Shelduck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD, November 2023]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a Radjah Shelduck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD, August 2025]

Near-dorsal view of a Radjah Shelduck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD, November 2023]

Dorsal view of a Radjah Shelduck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD, November 2023]

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]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/small flock

These 3 Radjah Shelducks appear to be settling a dispute (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, July 2024]

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.