Shelducks and relatives

There are 7 species of Tadorna shelducks.The Paradise Shelduck (T. variegata) is endemic to New Zealand. The female has a white head and chestnut body, while the male is all blackish.

Female Paradise Shelduck in New Zealand ©Tan KH

Male Paradise Shelduck in New Zealand ©Tan KH

The Australian Shelduck (T. tadornoides) is found in Australia and New Zealand. It has a dark head, white collar, chestnut breast and dark body. In flight, the wings show white coverts, green secondaries and dark primaries. The female has white eye-ring and bill base ring.

Australian Shelduck (female left, male right) in Melbourne, Australia ©Tan KH

The Raja Shelduck (T. radjah) is found in the Moluccas, New Guinea and Australia. It is also known as Radjah Shelduck. It has a mostly white duck with a dark breast band, scapulars, primaries and tail. When the wings are stretched, a green band can be seen on the upperwing secondaries. Both sexes are alike.

Raja Shelduck in Darwin, Australia ©Tan KH

The other extant shelducks are:

• Common Shelduck (T. tadorna) of Eurasia and northern Africa – red bill (knob bigger in male), blackish-green head and scapulars, white body with thick chestnut lower breast band, black belly stripe, black primaries.
• Ruddy Shelduck (T. ferruginea) of Eurasia and northern Africa – black bill, white head with orangey-brown body, white wing coverts, black primaries, green secondaries and black tail. Female lacks the thin black collar of the male.
• South African Shelduck (T. cana) of southern Africa – uniform grey head and neck, orangey-brown breast in male; white face, dark neck and cap in female. Both chestnut body, white wing coverts, black primaries and green secondaries.

Male Common Shelduck in Varberg, Sweden ©Con Foley

Ruddy Shelduck in Jurong Bird Park, Singapore ©Tan KH

Some relatives of the shelducks are:

• Blue Duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) of New Zealand has a dark head, slaty-blue body, chestnut spots on the breast, and a pale bill with dark fleshy skin at the tip. Both sexes look alike.
• Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata) of South America.
• Salvadori’s Teal (Salvadorina waigiuensis) of New Guinea.

Blue Duck on Tongariro River, New Zealand ©Tan KH

Reference
http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ioc-lists/master-list-2/