Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferruginea
-The sexes of this striking species are similar, but the male has a black ring at the bottom of the neck in the breeding season summer, and the female often has a white face patch.
-The breeding season usually starts in March-April. The female lays 6-10 eggs and incubates during 28-29 days, while the male defends the nest-site. The chicks are tended by both adults. They have dark brown upperparts with spotted back and white underparts. They fledge about 55 days after hatching, and reach their sexual maturity at two years.
- This is a bird of open country, and it will breed in burrows, tree holes or crevices distant from water, laying 6-16 creamy-white eggs, incubated for 30 days.
-The Ruddy Shelduck gives trumpeting and honking “aakh” calls. This bird is noisy when in flocks during winter. Before to take flight, it utters repeated trumpeted “pok-pok-pok”. The female gives lower calls than the male.
HERE AT ALAMEDA:
Did you know?
The genus name Tadorna comes from Celtic roots and means "pied waterfowl", essentially the same as the English "shelduck".