|
AUSTRALIAN SHELDUCK FACTS |
Description
Boldly-coloured large-bodied shelduck. Black body and head; conspicuous chestnut breast; white ring around neck and white fore wing. Females have a white ring around eye. Up to 72 cm long and male wingspan up to 132 cm.
These shelducks graze on aquatic and terrestrial plants at the edges of water or in shallow water. Outside the breeding season they can occur in very large flocks. In flight they are very noisy and form long 'V's , unlike other Australian waterfowl.
Author credit: Alexis Tindall / South Australian Museum
Habitat
Grasslands and croplands, large shallow waters, seeks open flat or undulating areas, including wetlands, mudflats or wide beaches.
Food
Herbivore, Invertebrates
Range
South-eastern and south-western Australia
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Species Description is from Museums Field Guide, Atlas of Living Australia at website at https://lists.ala.org.au Licensed under Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Anseriformes | | Family: | Anatidae | | Genus: | Tadorna | | Species: | tadornoides | | Common Name: | Australian Shelduck |
Relatives in same Genus
Radjah Shelduck (T. radjah)
|
|
