{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Good article}} {{Speciesbox | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Tadorna ferruginea'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T22680003A86011049 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680003A86011049.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> | image = 2021-01-30 Ruddy Shelduck pair at Keoladeo, Rajasthan, India.jpg | image_caption = Pair of ruddy shelducks, Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, India | genus = Tadorna | species = ferruginea | authority = (Pallas, 1764) | synonyms = ''Anas ferruginea''<br/> ''Casarca ferruginea''<br/> ''Casarca rutila'' | range_map = TadornaFerrugineaIUCN.png | range_map_caption = Range of ''T. ferruginea'' (Compiled by: BirdLife International and Handbook of the Birds of the World (2016) 2014){{leftlegend|#00FF00|Breeding|outline=gray}} {{leftlegend|#008000|Resident|outline=gray}} {{leftlegend|#007FFF|Non-breeding|outline=gray}} }} thumb|''Tadorna ferruginea'' [[File:Tadorna ferruginea MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.21.1.jpg|thumb| ''Tadorna ferruginea'' - MHNT]]
The '''ruddy shelduck''' ('''''Tadorna ferruginea''''') is a bird species in the family Anatidae. It is a distinctive waterfowl, {{convert|58|to|70|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length with a wingspan of {{convert|110|to|135|cm|in|abbr=on}}. It has orange-brown body plumage with a paler head, while the tail and the flight feathers in the wings are black, contrasting with the white wing-coverts. It is a migratory bird, wintering in the Indian subcontinent and breeding in southeastern Europe and central Asia, though there are small resident populations in North Africa. It has a loud honking call.
The ruddy shelduck mostly inhabits inland water-bodies such as lakes, reservoirs and rivers. The male and female form a lasting pair bond and the nest may be well away from water, in a crevice or hole in a cliff, tree or similar site. A clutch of about eight eggs is laid and is incubated solely by the female for about four weeks. The young are cared for by both parents and fledge about eight weeks after hatching.
In central and eastern Asia populations are steady or rising, but in Europe they are generally in decline. Altogether, the birds have a wide range and large total population, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed their conservation status as being of least concern.
==Taxonomy and etymology== alt= Ruddy Shelduck|left|thumb|At Chilika Lake, Mangalajodi, Odisha, India The ruddy shelduck (''Tadorna ferruginea'') is a member of the shelduck genus ''Tadorna'' in the wildfowl family Anatidae. The bird was first described in 1764 by the German zoologist and botanist Peter Simon Pallas who named it ''Anas ferruginea'', but later it was transferred to the genus ''Tadorna'' with the other shelducks.<ref>{{ cite book | last1=Mayr | first1=Ernst | author1-link=Ernst Mayr| last2=Cottrell | first2=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=1 | edition=2nd | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=450 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16109090 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite journal | last=Sherborn | first=C. Davies | year=1905 | title=The new species of birds in Vroeg's catalogue, 1764 | journal=Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections | volume=47 | pages=332–341 [339 No. 258] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8812106 }} Includes a transcript of the 1764 text.</ref><ref>{{ cite journal | last1=Rookmaaker | first1=L.C. | last2=Pieters | first2=F.F.J.M. | year=2000 | title=Birds in the sales catalogue of Adriaan Vroeg (1764) described by Pallas and Vosmaer | journal=Contributions to Zoology | volume=69 | issue=4 | pages=271–277 | doi=10.1163/18759866-06904005 | url=http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/571856 | doi-access=free }}</ref> Some authorities place it in the genus ''Casarca'' along with the South African shelduck (''T. cana''), the Australian shelduck (''T. tadornoides'') and the paradise shelduck (''T. variegata''). Phylogenetic analysis shows that it is most closely related to the South African shelduck. In captivity, the ruddy shelduck has been known to hybridise with several other members of ''Tadorna'', with several members of the dabbling duck genus ''Anas'', and with the Egyptian goose (''Alopochen aegyptiaca''). No subspecies are recognised.<ref name=HBWA>{{cite journal |url=http://www.hbw.com/node/52835 |title=Ruddy Shelduck (''Tadorna ferruginea'') |author1=Carboneras, C. |author2=Kirwan, G.M. |editor-first1=Shawn M |editor-first2=Myrah A |editor-last1=Billerman |editor-last2=Bridwell |year=2021 |journal=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive |publisher=Lynx Edicions, Barcelona |doi=10.2173/bow.rudshe.02 |s2cid=241566536 |access-date=20 October 2015|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
The generic name ''Tadorna'' comes from the French {{Lang|fr|tadorne}}, the common shelduck,<ref name= job377>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher = Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 |page = 377}}</ref> and may originally derive from a Celtic word meaning "pied waterfowl". The English name "sheld duck" dates from around 1700 and means the same.<ref name=Kear/> The specific name ''ferruginea'' is Latin for "rusty" and refers to the colour of the plumage.<ref name= job159>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher = Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 |page = 159}}</ref>
==Description== [[File:Ruddy Shelduck Chandratal Spiti Himachal Jun18 D72 7911.jpg|thumb|Ruddy shelduck at {{Convert|4,250|m|ft|abbr=on}}, Chandra Taal, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh]] The ruddy shelduck grows to a length of {{convert|58|to|70|cm|in|abbr=on}} and has a {{convert|110|–|135|cm|in|abbr=on}} wingspan. The male has orange-brown body plumage and a paler, orange-brown head and neck, separated from the body by a narrow black collar. The rump, flight feathers, tail-coverts and tail feathers are black and there are iridescent green speculum feathers on the inner surfaces of the wings. Both upper and lower wing-coverts are white, this feature being particularly noticeable in flight but hardly visible when the bird is at rest. The bill is black and the legs are dark grey. The female is similar but has a rather pale, whitish head and neck and lacks the black collar, and in both sexes, the colouring is variable and fades as the feathers age. The birds moult at the end of the breeding season and the male loses the black collar, but a further partial moult between December and April restores it. Juveniles are similar to the female but are a darker shade of brown.<ref name=Witherby>{{cite book |title=Handbook of British Birds, Volume 3: Hawks to Ducks |editor-last=Witherby |editor-first=H. F. |year=1943 |publisher=H. F. and G. Witherby Ltd. |pages=227–231 }}</ref>
The call is a series of loud, nasal honking notes, it being possible to discern the difference between those produced by the male and the female. The calls are made both on the ground and in the air, and the sounds are variable according to the circumstances in which they are uttered.<ref name=Witherby/>
==Distribution and habitat== There are very small resident populations of this species in Northwest Africa and Ethiopia, but the main breeding area of the bird is from southeast Europe across the Palearctic to Lake Baikal, Mongolia, and western China.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-ruddy-shelduck.html |title=Ruddy Shelduck: ''Tadorna ferruginea'' |author=Bouglouan, Nicole |publisher=oiseaux-birds.com |access-date=21 October 2015}}</ref> Eastern populations are mostly migratory, wintering in the Indian subcontinent.<ref name=Stockley1923/> This species has colonised the island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, first breeding there in 1994, and reaching a population of almost fifty pairs by 2008.<ref name=Garcia/> The ruddy shelduck is a common winter visitor in India where it arrives by October and departs by April. Its typical breeding habitat is large wetlands and rivers with mud flats and shingle banks, and it is found in large numbers on lakes and reservoirs. It breeds in high altitude lakes and swamps in Jammu and Kashmir.<ref name=Stockley1923/> Outside the breeding season it prefers lowland streams, sluggish rivers, ponds, flooded grassland, marshes and brackish lagoons.<ref name=BI>{{cite web |url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/22680003 |title=Ruddy Shelduck: ''Tadorna ferruginea'' |year=2015 |publisher=BirdLife International |access-date=24 October 2015}}</ref>
This shelduck mostly frequents open locations on inland bodies of water such as lakes, reservoirs and rivers. It is seldom seen in forested areas but does occur in brackish water and saline lagoons. Though more common in the lowlands, it also inhabits higher altitudes and in central Asia is one of the few waterbirds, along with the bar-headed goose (''Anser indicus''), to be found on lakes at {{convert|5000|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Kear/>
Although becoming quite rare in Southeastern Europe and southern Spain, the ruddy shelduck is still common across much of its Asian range. It may be this population which gives rise to vagrants as far west as Iceland, Great Britain and Ireland. However, since the European population is declining, it is likely that most occurrences in Western Europe in recent decades are escapes or feral birds. Although this bird is observed in the wild from time to time in eastern North America, no evidence has been found that this is a genuine case of vagrancy.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> Feral ruddy shelduck have bred successfully in several European countries. In Switzerland the ruddy shelduck is considered an invasive species that threatens to displace native birds. Despite actions taken to reduce numbers, the population of ruddy shelduck in Switzerland increased from 211 to 1250 individuals in the period from 2006 to 2016.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Müller|first=Werner|date=2 April 2017|title=Rechtzeitig handeln.|url=http://www.birdlife.ch/de/content/ornis-ausgaben-2017|journal=Ornis|pages=12–14|access-date=24 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922105224/http://birdlife.ch/de/content/ornis-ausgaben-2017|archive-date=22 September 2018}}</ref>
A stable population exists in Moscow, settling the city parks' ponds alongside the endemic mallards. These birds are feral descendants of escapees from the Moscow Zoo, the population most likely forming after 1948, when the policy of clipping the birds' wings was repealed. Unlike the wild population, these ducks are non-migratory, wintering instead in the non-freezing parts of the city's bodies of water.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Vishnevsky|first=Vasily|date=1 February 2009|title="Оранжевая революция" на московских прудах|trans-title=«Orange revolution» in Moscow's ponds|language=ru|url=http://fotoparus.com/publication/2009/2009_2_Oranzhevaja_revoljucijaNKZH-5.shtml|journal=Наука и Жизнь|pages=141–144|access-date=26 June 2022}}</ref> Population increased from 1990's to 2020's by over 20 times,<ref>{{cite web |title=Популяция огарей в Москве за 20 лет увеличилась более чем в шесть раз и продолжает расти |url=https://www.gazetametro.ru/articles/populjatsija-ogarej-v-moskve-za-20-let-uvelichilas-bolee-chem-v-shest-raz-i-prodolzhaet-rasti-12-07-2023 |website=Gazeta Metro |date=12 July 2023 |access-date=26 April 2025}}</ref> reaching 3300 by 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=В России обитают 800 видов птиц. Мы составили карту самых популярных из них в каждом регионе |url=https://tochno.st/materials/v-rossii-mozno-vstretit-800-vidov-ptic-my-sostavili-kartu-samyx-populiarnyx-vidov-po-regionam |website=Если быть точным}}</ref>
==Behaviour== thumb|A ruddy shelduck flying over a lake The ruddy shelduck is a mainly nocturnal bird.<ref name=BI/> It is omnivorous and feeds on grasses, the young shoots of plants, grain and water plants as well as both aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. On land it grazes on the foliage, in the water it dabbles in the shallows, and at greater depths, it up-ends, but it does not dive.<ref name=Kear/>
The ruddy shelduck is usually found in pairs or small groups and rarely forms large flocks. However, moulting and wintering gatherings on chosen lakes or slow rivers can be very large. Gatherings of over four thousand birds have been recorded on the Koshi Barrage and in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, and over ten thousand at Lake Düden in Turkey.<ref name=Kear/>
The birds arrive at their main breeding locations in central Asia in March and April. There is a strong pair bond between the male and female and it is thought they pair for life. In their breeding quarters, the birds are very aggressive towards their own kind and towards other species. The female in particular approaches intruders with head lowered and neck outstretched, uttering anger calls. If the intruder stands its ground, the female returns to the male and runs round him, inciting him to attack. He may or may not do so.<ref name=Witherby/> Mating takes place on the water after a brief courtship ritual involving neck stretching, head dipping and tail raising.<ref name=Kear/> The nesting site is often far away from water in a hole in a tree or ruined building, a crevice in a cliff, among sand-dunes or in an animal burrow. The nest is constructed by the female using feathers and down and some grasses.<ref name=Witherby/>
A clutch of about eight eggs (range six to twelve) is laid between late April and early June. These have a dull gloss and are creamy-white, averaging {{convert|68|by|47|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}. Incubation is done by the female while the male stands in attendance nearby. The eggs hatch after about twenty-eight days and both parents care for the young, which fledge in a further fifty-five days.<ref name=Kear/> After breeding the adults moult, losing the power of flight for about a month while they do so. Before moulting they move to large water bodies where they can more easily avoid predation while they are flightless.<ref name=BI/> The family may stay together as a group for some time; the autumn migration starts around September and the young may mature in their second year. North African birds breed about five weeks earlier, and their breeding success is greater in wet summers.<ref name=Kear/>
==Status== thumb|Illustration of adult [[File:Ruddy Shelduck, Flagship pf Arjan.png|thumb|Ruddy Shelduck, Flagship species of Arjan International Wetland]] Buddhists regard the ruddy shelduck as sacred as the plumage is the same colour as a lama's robes,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Severin |first1=Tim |title=In Search of Genghis Khan |date=1991 |publisher=Hutchinson |isbn=0-09-174779-1 |page=143}}</ref> and this gives the birds some protection in central and eastern Asia, where the population is thought to be steady or even rising. The Pembo Black-necked Crane Reserve in Tibet is an important wintering area for ruddy shelducks, and here they receive protection.{{cn|date=January 2026}} In Europe on the other hand, populations are generally declining as wetlands are drained and the birds are hunted. However, in Europe and Italy the ruddy shelduck is protected, with hunting banned.<ref>{{Cite web | title=MSN | url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/what-is-a-ruddy-shelduck-donald-trump-jr-allegedly-hunting-endangered-species-triggers-uproar-in-italy/ar-AA1yswHb | access-date=2025-03-17 | website=www.msn.com}}</ref> They are less vulnerable than some other waterfowl because of their adaptability to new habitats such as reservoirs.<ref name=Kear/> In 2023, the Ruddy Shelduck was selected as the flagship species of Arjan International Wetland in Iran, due to its cultural visibility and conservation potential in engaging local communities.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ebrahimi |first1=Iman |last2=Ranjbaran |first2=Ali |title=Selecting a Flagship Species for Arjan International Wetland, Fars Province, Iran |journal=Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=67–74 |year=2023 |doi=10.22120/jwb.2023.367318.1801 |doi-broken-date=1 July 2025 |url=https://www.wildlife-biodiversity.com/index.php/jwb/article/view/680}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=با روشهای علمی، آنقوت به عنوان گونه پرچم تالاب ارژن معرفی شد |url=https://www.mehrnews.com/news/6364569/ |publisher=Mehr News |date=24 December 2023 |language=fa}}</ref>
The ruddy shelduck has a very wide range and an estimated total population size of 170,000 to 225,000 individuals. The overall population trend is unclear as some local populations are increasing while others are decreasing. The bird does not appear to meet the higher criteria necessary to be considered threatened, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature assesses that its conservation status is of least concern.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.<ref name=AEWA/>
==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs= <ref name=AEWA>{{cite web |title=AEWA Species |access-date=22 October 2015 |url=http://www.unep-aewa.org/en/species |publisher=Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds }}</ref>
<ref name=Kear>{{cite book|author=Kear, Janet|title=Ducks, Geese and Swans: General chapters, species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MfrdBcKd79wC&pg=RA1-PA420 |year=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-861008-3 |pages=420–430}}</ref>
<ref name=Stockley1923>{{cite journal |last=Stockley |first=C.H. |year=1923 |title=Some notes on Indian game birds |journal=The Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=29 |pages=278–279}}</ref>
<ref name=Garcia>{{cite journal |last1=Garcia del Rey |first1=Eduardo|last2= Rodriguez-Lorenzo |first2=Juan Antonio |year=2010 |title=Breeding status of the Ruddy Shelduck ''Tadorna ferruginea'' at Fuerteventura, Canary Islands: natural colonisation of two habitat types on an oceanic island |journal=Ostrich |volume=81 |issue=2 |pages=93–96 |doi=10.2989/00306525.2010.488376 |bibcode=2010Ostri..81...93G |s2cid=84867588}}</ref> }}
==External links== {{Commons category|Tadorna ferruginea}} {{Wikispecies|Tadorna ferruginea}} * {{BirdLife|22680003|Tadorna ferruginea}} * {{Avibase|name=Tadorna ferruginea}} * {{EBirdSpecies|rudshe|Ruddy Shelduck}} * {{VIREO|Ruddy+shelduck}} * {{IUCN_Map|22680003/166197286|Tadorna ferruginea}} * {{Xeno-canto species|Tadorna|ferruginea|Ruddy shelduck}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q170723}} {{Authority control}}
ruddy shelduck Category:Birds of North Africa Category:Birds of Central Asia Category:Birds of West Asia Category:Birds of Mongolia Category:Birds of Tibet ruddy shelduck Category:Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas