Australian Shelduck

Tadorna tadornoides

Least Concern

Wingspan

70.7 cm

Weight

1424.5 g

Family

Anatidae

Order

Anseriformes

About

A large shelduck with a dark bottle-green head, chestnut breast band in females, and dark body with white wing coverts. Common in southern Australia. One of Australia's largest ducks. Gregarious and conspicuous; forms flocks on inland salt lakes and coastal bays.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	70.7 cm	27.8 in
Weight	1424.5 g	50.25 oz

Identification

Plumage

Males dark chestnut with black head showing green gloss; white neck collar. White inner wing with iridescent green speculum. Females have white eye-ring and white facial area. Chestnut breast; black bill.

Habitat & Range

Inland salt lakes, ephemeral lakes, estuaries, coastal bays, and agricultural dams in southern Australia from Queensland west to Western Australia. Nests in burrows, hollow logs, and tree cavities.

🏖️ Coastal 🌾 Grassland 🌿 Wetland

Geographic Range

Breeds across the Palearctic from Iceland and western Europe east to Siberia; winters in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Diet & Feeding

Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material in spring; forages in shallow ponds; diet shifts outside breeding season.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Incubation: 30-33 days. Fledging: 50-70 days.

Clutch Size

5-19

Sound

Song

Male gives a whistling 'zzzeet'; female gives a loud, deep cackling 'uk-uk-uk'. Loud, far-carrying calls from Australian wetlands. Considered one of the noisier shelducks.

Taxonomy

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

Distribution

Australian Shelduck has been recorded in 7 countries.

{# Distribution Map — simplified SVG world map with highlighted countries. Expects `country_codes` variable: list of ISO alpha-2 codes (e.g. ["US", "CA", "MX"]). Uses Alpine.js to toggle classes on country paths. #}

Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

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

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Australian Shelduck eat?

Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material in spring; forages in shallow ponds; diet shifts outside breeding season.

Where does the Australian Shelduck live?

Inland salt lakes, ephemeral lakes, estuaries, coastal bays, and agricultural dams in southern Australia from Queensland west to Western Australia. Nests in burrows, hollow logs, and tree cavities.

Is the Australian Shelduck endangered?

The Australian Shelduck has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Australian Shelduck nest?

Incubation: 30-33 days. Fledging: 50-70 days.

What does the Australian Shelduck sound like?

Male gives a whistling 'zzzeet'; female gives a loud, deep cackling 'uk-uk-uk'. Loud, far-carrying calls from Australian wetlands. Considered one of the noisier shelducks.

How big is the Australian Shelduck?

The Australian Shelduck has a wingspan of 70.7 cm, weight of 1424.5 g.

What order and family does the Australian Shelduck belong to?

The Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.