Tadorna ferruginea
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Mass
~1 kg
Habitat
Wetlands and marshes
Diet
Omnivore
How to recognize it
Ruddy Shelduck is easy to remember for its warm rufous look and goose-like stance. In flight, the dark wings and contrasting pale areas give it a bold, unmistakable profile.
Its voice is loud and honking, and it carries both on the water and in the air. It usually keeps to pairs or small groups, though it can turn quite assertive and noisy in the breeding season.
It favours open inland waters, from lakes and rivers to reservoirs and ponds, and it is not fussy about slightly salty water. It feeds on land and in shallow margins, taking plants, seeds, insects and other available food; many populations migrate, while some city-pond groups stay through winter.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
Ruddy Shelduck is easy to remember for its warm rufous look and goose-like stance. In flight, the dark wings and contrasting pale areas give it a bold, unmistakable profile.
Its voice is loud and honking, and it carries both on the water and in the air. It usually keeps to pairs or small groups, though it can turn quite assertive and noisy in the breeding season.
It favours open inland waters, from lakes and rivers to reservoirs and ponds, and it is not fussy about slightly salty water. It feeds on land and in shallow margins, taking plants, seeds, insects and other available food; many populations migrate, while some city-pond groups stay through winter.
