Australian shelduck

Australian shelduck

Chestnut-breasted shelduck, Mountain duck

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Tadorna tadornoides

The Australian shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides ), also known as the chestnut-breasted shelduck or mountain duck, is a shelduck, part of the bird family Anatidae. The genus name Tadorna comes from Celtic roots and means "pied waterfowl". They are protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.

Appearance

The males are mostly dark, with a chestnut breast. They have white neck collars and dark green heads. The females are similar, but they have white around the eyes and are smaller. Both males and females show a white wing during flight.

Distribution

Geography

Biogeographical realms

The Australian shelduck mainly breeds in southern Australia and Tasmania and is still fairly common. In the winter, many birds move farther north than the breeding range. As with other shelducks, this species has favourite moulting grounds, such as Lake George, New South Wales, where sizeable concentrations occur. The Australian shelduck's primary habitat is lakes in fairly open country. It is extremely wary. It makes its nest in tree holes, holes in banks, or similar locations. Eight to fifteen eggs are laid, and incubated for between thirty and thirty-three days.

Australian shelduck habitat map
Australian shelduck habitat map
Australian shelduck
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Habits and Lifestyle

Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

Population

References

1. Australian shelduck Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_shelduck
2. Australian shelduck on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22680011/92838835
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/567416

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