Radjah Shelducks aka Burdekin Ducks
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The Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah) is a species of shelduck. It is more commonly known as a Burdekin Duck.
Appearance
Both the male and female of the species are mostly white, with dark wingtips and a distinctive "collar" of dark feathers. Seen from above in flight, the birds have green bands on the tops of their wings.
Calls / Vocalizations
The female has a harsh rattle and the male has a breathy, sore-throat whistle.
Distribution and Habitat
The Burdekin Duck's primary range takes in much of coastal tropical northern Australia, from central Queensland through northern Northern Territory (including Kakadu National Park) to the Kimberley in Western Australia.
The species prefers the brackish waters of mangrove flats and paperbark tree swamps, but will visit freshwater swamps, lagoons, and billabongs further inland during the wet season.
Protection Status
The Burdekin Duck is listed as a protected bird in all states of Australia and extremely harsh penalties exist for harming or disturbing them.
Breeding / Nesting
The Burdekin forms long-term pair-bonds, and is usually encountered in lone pairs or small flocks. During the wet season the males commonly become very irritable, and have been observed attacking their mates.
Pairs start searching for nesting sites during the months of January and February. They nest close to their primary food source, often in the hollow limbs of trees, which makes habitat destruction a particular issue.
Burdekins don't use nesting materials except for some self-supplied down feathers. Egg-laying is usually done by May or June, but depends on the extent of the wet season. The clutches range from 6 to 12 eggs. Incubation time is about 30 days.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Tadorna radjah. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Diet / Feeding:
Radjah Shelducks eat mainly mollusks, insects, sedge materials as well as algae.
Ducks generally feed on larvae and pupae usually found under rocks, aquatic animals, plant material, seeds, small fish, snails and crabs.
Feeding Ducks ...
We all enjoy ducks and many of us offer them food to encourage them to come over and stay around - and it works! Who doesn't like an easy meal!
However, the foods that we traditionally feed them at local ponds are utterly unsuitable for them and are likely to cause health problems down the road. Also, there may be local laws against feeding this species of bird - so it's best to check on that rather than facing consequences at a later stage.
- Click here to find out which foods to feed them that will offer the nutrition they need to survive a cold winter and remain healthy
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