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Ruddy Shelduck
(Tadorna ferruginea)
: "Ruddy Sheldrake", "Brahminy Duck"
German name(s): "Rostgans", "Rostkasarka"
Size: 58-70 cm; wing span 1.1-1.35 m
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Ruddy Shelducks are medium-sized ducks with a long neck.
Both sexes have roughly the same
plumage,
with small differences.
Males in
breeding
plumage have a
black neck-ring which they lose during the winter.
Females
lack the black neck-ring, the green wing panels and they have a
more pronounced white facial mask.
Male
Ruddy Shelducks are also slightly larger than
females.
Otherwise the two sexes are basically identical.
The head and upper neck are pale-brown with some white blotches on
the head, while the lower neck and the front/underparts are brown
to rust-coloured. In
males the
upperparts are similarly coloured, while the mantle of
females
show pale-brown edge lining.
Both upperwing and underwing coverts are white, while the flight
feathers are black (only males have a green panel at the back of
the upperwing). The tail is dark-grey.
The irises are dark. The slightly upcurved spatula bill is dark-grey,
as are the legs and feet.
Juveniles
have body plumage
resembling that of
females,
but the head and neck are more similar to non-breeding males.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Ruddy
Shelduck at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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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 Ruddy Shelduck is available
HERE
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Common Shelducks are a partly sedentary, partly migratory species.
Apart from a small sedentary population in north-western Africa,
they occur from the Aegean Sea eastwards, through parts of far
south-eastern Europe, parts of Asia Minor, the Middle East and
further east to the Pacific coastline, with occasional sightings
in Japan.
Their range includes the Indian subcontinent and much of south-eastern
Asia.
Except for one location on the coastline of Greece,
in Europe Ruddy Shelducks are normally found only as breeding
migrants to the far South-east, from the Danube delta via the
North coast of the Black Sea to the lower Dnjepr and the
northern Caucasus.
Outside the breeding season Shelducks live mostly in inland
wetlands, such as lakes, swamps, water storage dams and
saltmarshes.
During the breeding season their choice of habitat is much
more diverse, including not only wetlands, but also rocky
mountainous terrain, where they nest on cliffs, banks, in
crevices, trees or also in ruins.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
H. Dahlem-Senger reports finding a pair of Ruddy Shelducks along
the shore of Lake Constance, at Unteruhldingen, Germany, in
September 2022. At this location the species is introduced.
More photos shown below were taken by D. Wilczynska in Georgia,
on the southern slopes of the Caucasus, in June 2018. This
location is just outside the geographical boundaries of Europe.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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BREEDING |
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Lateral view of a resting male Ruddy Shelduck - note the
green wing panel (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Group of Ruddy Shelducks on a lake; the two birds with dark
neck bands, front right, are males in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
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NON-BREEDING |
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Two Ruddy Shelducks on a lake; the bird at the front left is
a male losing its dark neck band, thus moulting into non-breeding
plumage,
while the bird at the far right is a female - note the
white facial mask
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
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FEMALE |
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Near-frontal view of a female Ruddy Shelduck - note the white
facial mask (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Lateral view of a female Ruddy Shelduck
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Two Ruddy Shelducks resting by a lake, behind two
Grey Herons;
in the foreground a flock of
Red-crested Pochards
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Unteruhldingen, Lake Constance, Germany, September 2022]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Two Ruddy Shelducks on a lake; the bird standing on the left
is a male, the bird on the right is probably a juvenile - note
the scarcity of white on its head
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Dorsal view of a Ruddy Shelduck - the grey wash on the white
of the wings indicates that this bird is a juvenile
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
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.