Tadorna radjah
25 000 rub.

Raja shelduck, orRajah shelduck, orBurdekin duck (Tadorna radjah)

Phylumchordata
Class — aves
Order — anseriformes
Family — anatidae

Genus –tadorna

Appearance

Both the male and female of the species are mostly white, with dark wing-tips and a distinctive "collar" of dark feathers. Seen from above in flight the birds have green bands on the tops of their wings.

Body length – 48-60 cm, weight – 840-930 g.

Habitat

The radjah shelduck inhabits the mangrove forests and coastline of New Guinea (West Papua and Papua New Guinea) and Australia, and some of the Moluccas in eastern Indonesia. In Australia, its primary range is coastal tropical northern Australia, from central Queensland through northern Northern Territory (including Kakadu National Park) to the Kimberley in Western Australia.

Behavior

The radjah shelduck forms long-term pair-bonds, and is usually encountered in lone pairs or small flocks. During the wet season the males commonly become very irritable, and have been observed attacking their mates.

Diet

The radjah shelduck is an omnivore and eats mollusks, insects, algae and sedges. It uses its beak to filter the water in search of bugs and seeds.

Reproduction

During the wet season, November through April, radjah shelducks establish breeding grounds, and the males become very aggressive in defending them. When radjah shelducks mate, they remain monogamous and form long-term pair bonds. The pair will scout out a place to nest that is near good locations for finding food, often in a tree hollow. They build their nest out of their own soft down feathers, using no other materials.

The female will lay a clutch of 6 to 12 cream-colored eggs by May or June, and she will incubate them for about 30 days, until they hatch. The new chicks are covered with down, with black markings, white spots, and a dark chestnut crown that extends to the eyes.

Both the male and female care for and raise the young birds. The youngsters fledge in about 50 days, but they will stay with their parents until the dry season begins. During the dry season, May through October, radjah shelducks form flocks and fly off together in search of small ponds.

Incaptivity

Lifespan -up to 20 years.

Shelducks are large enough with bright color. It is easy to take care of them. They are perfectly adapting to life in aviaries, grow well and regularly give healthy offspring, which are selflessly taken care of by both parents. The main difficulty faced by beginners in breeding of these birds is their excessive aggressiveness during the breeding season, intolerance of the presence of birds of any kind in the breeding territory. A male guarding a clutch of a female or brood can pounce on both a large bird of prey and a predatory mammal and a human.

At the same time, a couple with their own brood often takes other birds` chicks under their protection, and sometimes even takes them away from their parents. Young birds under 2 years of age who have not reached sexual maturity are more tolerant to life in a large flock. Adult birds get along peacefully with other representatives of waterfowl during the molting period at the end of the nesting period. But, in addition to seasonally aggressiveness when the male defending its territory can kill smaller ducks and even geese, we need to understand that bird keeping in mixed flocks can be the reason for hybridization with any of the members of the genus Tadorna, as well as geese, breasted geese and domestic ducks.

Large aviaries as a place for seasonal keeping of a small group of adult immature or molting birds should be much more spacious than for any other waterfowl. The minimum size of the enclosure for a pair of shelduckscannot be less than 100 square meters. For good growth, regular reproduction and preservation of the brood population, it is necessary to provide the shelducks with the opportunity to graze on a large area with low grass. It is recommended to equip a large, shallow pond.

Despite the fact that the Eurasian species of genus Tadorna easily survive at low temperatures, they still need dry enclosed spaces for a long frosty period. Moreover, warm shelters are needed for the tropical species T. radjah, for which in the cold season it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of at least 10 оС.If birds are outsideduring the cold weather for a long period of time they have frostbite of the paws.

In captivity, it is important for shelducks to have a possibility of grazing on grass. The natural herbal diet is supplemented with special compound feeds and bread. In winter, the grain diet consists of wheat, oats, lentils, peas, crushed corn is supplemented with finely chopped peelings of vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, cabbage and others.

Hatched ducklings are fed with industrial starter feed. Duckweed, a lot of chopped greens − lettuce and spinach, insects and earthworms are useful for the growth of chicks. Providing access to low-grass pasture from an early age guarantees the brood rapid growth and maximum survival. A shallow container with clean drinking water, which is replaced as it becomes contaminated, but at least once or twice a day, should always be in the place of feeding the bird.