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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
Australian
shelduck |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Anseriformes |
| FAMILY: |
Anatidae
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| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Tadorna
(a sheldrake) tadornoides |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
Australian shelduck's head, back, belly, and tail
are all black with metallic green highlights. A
narrow, white neckband separates the black head
from brown breast. The female breast feathers are
chestnut and the male's a paler cinnamon. The wings
have black primaries, metallic green secondaries,
chestnut tertials and white upper and under wing
coverts. Females have rings of white feathers around
eye and base of bill. |
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| SIZE: |
Approximately
55-73 cm tall |
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| WEIGHT: |
Approximatley
1.3-1.5 kg |
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| DIET: |
Includes
insects, seeds, and short grasses |
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| INCUBATION: |
28 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
7-12
eggs |
| FLEDGING
DURATION |
70
days |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
2-3
years |
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| RANGE: |
New
South Wales and Tasmania |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabit
freshwater swamps, brackish swamps, inland lakes,
grasslands, open woodlands, pastures, and agricultural
fields |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
In
the wild, these ducks may use holes and burrows
made by other animals to build their nest. |
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| 2. |
Within days of hatching, the young are led from
the nest to, what field scientists call, "nursery
water" by both parents or sometimes by other
adults to the nursery water. This distance can be
a mile or more! In the nursery there are several
young from other parents together under the care
of one or more adults. The nursery group (or crèche)
varies in size and age range (a normal size crèche
is 20-40 individuals, but some groups of 100 have
been recorded). Scientists believe the nursery supervisors
are failed breeders or non-breeders. |
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| 3. |
Shelducks are not diving birds, but they are able
to dive if needed. The young ducklings dive freely
but the adults only do so when wounded or frightened. |
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| 4. |
These
ducks communicate using goose like honks, grunts,
and whistles. |
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The
Australian shelduck is not a popular game bird
so it has not been significantly over-hunted.
What little hunting there is stems from their
habit of grazing in agricultural fields, causing
damage to crops.
Scientists
believe their populations may have grown in recent
years due to the increase of irrigation in agriculture
and the construction of new water impoundments,
which both provide more food and more habitat
for this specific species.
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|
|
| Johnsgard,
P. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of the World.
Lincoln. Univ. Of Neb. Press, 1978. |
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|
Pizzey, G. and R. Doyle. 1980. Birds of Australia.
Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. |
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| Scott,
P. A Coloured Key of the Wildfowl of the World.
Slimbridge, England. The Wildfowl Trust. 1988. |
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| Todd,
F.S. Natural History of Waterfowl. San Diego,
Ca. Ibis Publishing Co., 1996. |
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| http://natzoo.si.edu/zooview/exhibits/birdhs/aussheld.htm |
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