Paradise Shelduck

Giới Thiệu

New Zealand's most colorful duck with strong sexual dimorphism: males have dark greenish-black body; females are strikingly white-headed with chestnut body. Endemic and common. Found across New Zealand's grasslands, farmland, and wetlands. A significant game species traditionally harvested by Māori.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Chiều Dài Sải Cánh	70,2 cm	27.6 in
Khối Lượng	1569,5 g	55.36 oz

Nhận Dạng

Bộ Lông

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

Phạm Vi Địa Lý

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.

Tình Trạng Bảo Tồn

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Hành Vi & Sinh Sản

Làm Tổ

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

Số Trứng

5-15

Âm Thanh

Tiếng Hót

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.

Phân Loại Học

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Bộ	Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Họ	Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)
Genus	Tadorna
Loài	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. #}

Hiện Diện Not recorded

countries highlighted

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

External Databases

Câu Hỏi Thường Gặp

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.