Paradise Shelduck

Sobre

O pato-de-paradise é um pato-de-terra grande da Nova Zelândia com dimorfismo sexual marcante. Os machos têm cabeça e pescoço verdes brilhantes, peito castanho-avermelhado e corpo barrado de branco. As fêmeas têm cabeça e pescoço brancos e o corpo castanho. A espécie é ícone cultural dos Maoris onde é conhecida como pūtangitangi. Cria em prados e zonas húmidas de interior e é um dos patos mais comuns da Nova Zelândia. É altamente territorial.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Envergadura	70,2 cm	27.6 in
Peso	1569,5 g	55.36 oz

Identificação

Plumagem

Extreme dimorphism. Males have black head with green gloss and black-and-chestnut body. Females have pure white head and neck contrasting with rich chestnut-rufous body. Both show white wing patches. New Zealand endemic.

Habitat & Range

Open farmland, grassland, lake shores, riverbeds, and wetlands throughout both main islands of New Zealand. Nests in caves, burrows, hollow trees, and dense vegetation. Highly territorial in the breeding season.

🌿 Wetland 🌾 Grassland 🏖️ Coastal

Distribuição geográfica

Breeds in Eurasia from the UK to Siberia; winters across sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

Diet & Feeding

Eats seeds, grasses, and aquatic invertebrates; grazes near water; dabbles in shallows; diet varies with seasonal water levels.

Estado de conservação

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Comportamento e reprodução

Nidificação

Incubation: 32-33 days. Fledging: 55-65 days.

Tamanho da postura

5-15

Som

Canto

Male gives a high-pitched whistle; female gives a loud, harsh cackling call 'rak-rak-rak'. New Zealand's only endemic shelduck; calls echoing in open farmland are distinctive.

Taxonomia

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Ordem	Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Família	Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)
Genus	Tadorna
Espécies	Tadorna variegata

Distribution

Paradise Shelduck has been recorded in 6 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. #}

Presente Not recorded

countries highlighted

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

External Databases

Perguntas frequentes

What does the Paradise Shelduck eat?

Eats seeds, grasses, and aquatic invertebrates; grazes near water; dabbles in shallows; diet varies with seasonal water levels.

Where does the Paradise Shelduck live?

Open farmland, grassland, lake shores, riverbeds, and wetlands throughout both main islands of New Zealand. Nests in caves, burrows, hollow trees, and dense vegetation. Highly territorial in the breeding season.

Is the Paradise Shelduck endangered?

The Paradise Shelduck has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Paradise Shelduck nest?

Incubation: 32-33 days. Fledging: 55-65 days.

What does the Paradise Shelduck sound like?

Male gives a high-pitched whistle; female gives a loud, harsh cackling call 'rak-rak-rak'. New Zealand's only endemic shelduck; calls echoing in open farmland are distinctive.

How big is the Paradise Shelduck?

The Paradise Shelduck has a wingspan of 70.2 cm, weight of 1569.5 g.

What order and family does the Paradise Shelduck belong to?

The Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.