South African Shelduck

About

A large shelduck with a grey head in males or white-and-grey head with white facial patches in females, orange-brown body, and white wing coverts. Endemic to southern Africa. Common on inland freshwater and saline lakes across South Africa's interior plateau.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	69.0 cm	27.2 in
Weight	1323.6666666666667 g	46.69 oz

Identification

Plumage

Males have gray head and neck; rufous-brown body with white wing coverts and green speculum. Females similar but with white facial markings around bill and eye. Body rich rufous-chestnut. Endemic to southern Africa.

Habitat & Range

Inland freshwater and saline lakes, pans, dams, and rivers across southern Africa, primarily on the South African plateau, Lesotho, and Namibia. Nests in burrows dug by aardvark. Highly terrestrial for a shelduck.

🏖️ Coastal 🌿 Wetland

Geographic Range

Breeds in subarctic Eurasia and winters in sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia.

Diet & Feeding

Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet more invertebrate-heavy in breeding season.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: CV,BU. Incubation: 30 days. Fledging: 60-75 days.

Clutch Size

4-11

Sound

Song

Male gives a whistled 'wheeu'; female gives a harsh, descending cackle. Calls from South African wetlands and vleis. Sexual dimorphism in call is strong.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Family	Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)
Genus	Tadorna
Species	Tadorna cana

Distribution

South African Shelduck has been recorded in 7 countries.

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Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the South African Shelduck eat?

Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet more invertebrate-heavy in breeding season.

Where does the South African Shelduck live?

Inland freshwater and saline lakes, pans, dams, and rivers across southern Africa, primarily on the South African plateau, Lesotho, and Namibia. Nests in burrows dug by aardvark. Highly terrestrial for a shelduck.

Is the South African Shelduck endangered?

The South African Shelduck has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the South African Shelduck nest?

Nest type: CV,BU. Incubation: 30 days. Fledging: 60-75 days.

What does the South African Shelduck sound like?

Male gives a whistled 'wheeu'; female gives a harsh, descending cackle. Calls from South African wetlands and vleis. Sexual dimorphism in call is strong.

How big is the South African Shelduck?

The South African Shelduck has a wingspan of 69.0 cm, weight of 1323.6666666666667 g.

What order and family does the South African Shelduck belong to?

The South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.