Shelducks
Duck Information ... Duck Species ... Photo Gallery
Books about Ducks, Geese and Other Fowl (
, 
, 
, 
)
The Shelducks, genus Tadorna, are a group of large birds in the Tadorninae subfamily of the Anatidae, the biological family that includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as the geese and swans.
Description:
A shelduck is approximately 58.5 cm in length and has a white plumage with bold brown and black markings. It can be found from the British Isles across, Europe and Asia to Eastern China.
The shelducks are a group of larger often semi-terrestrial waterfowl, which can be seen as intermediate between geese (Anserinae) and ducks.
Species
- Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
- Cape Shelduck Tadorna cana : The Cape Shelduck (Tadorna cana) is a species of shelduck. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
- Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides
- Paradise Shelduck Tadorna variegata
- Crested Shelduck Tadorna cristata : The Crested Shelduck or Korean Crested Shelduck (Tadorna cristata) is (or was) a shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the duck family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. The Anatidae article should be referred to for an overview of this group of birds. Very little is known about this bird, which apparently bred in Korea and eastern Russia and was probably a relict species that had a wider distribution in prehistoric times. Only one specimen of the male has ever been collected, and is now in the Kuroda collection at Tokyo. It is now widely thought to be extinct, although occasional sightings are reported, the latest in 1985. The last confirmed record was in 1964 near Vladivostok.
- Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
- Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org.
Diet / Feeding:
The diet of shelducks consists of small shore animals (winkles, crabs etc) , grasses and other plants.
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
Photo, Video and/or Article contributions are welcome! Please click here for info
The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!
