Radjah Shelduck (Radjah radjah)

Other Names (World)
Radjah Shelduck, Black backed Shelduck, Burdekin Shelduck, Burdekin Duck, White-headed Shelduck, Raja Shelduck

Family
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, Swans)

Size
48 - 60 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Lesson, 1828)

Derivation
Tad-orn'-a - N.L., from an Italian word for duck: radjah - native name of the duck was said to be radja

Abundance (Guide)
MC

Common in suitable habitat in the Northern Territory. Rare elsewhere. Sedentary but with local seasonal movements.

Habitat
In the wet season most shallow waters, fresh, brackish and salt swamps, mangrove-lined coastal creeks, shallow river margins. In the dry season larger permanent lagoons, paperbark swamps, man-made wetlands, mangroves, tidal mudflats and estuaries.

Range (Guide)

Australia (B), Indonesia, Papua New Guinea (B).

Vagrant to Timor-Leste.

Coastal northern Australia, west to the Kimberley and south to about Bowen, Qld.

Rarity Status
View Rarity Status Information

Population
Estimated population is 35,000 - 1,100,000 (2010).

Status LC
Probably secure.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
In pairs or flocks.

Food
Aquatic plants, crabs, molluscs and other marine-life.

Voice
Male; hoarse whistles. Female: hash rattling, usually uttered in flight.

(23Kb) © ? (2)

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (26)...)

Raja Shelduck (Radjah radjah) [XC692388]
by James Lambert from Nightcliff, Darwin Municipality, Northern Territory, Australia (call)

Raja Shelduck (Radjah radjah) [XC327168]
by Andr\u00e1s Schmidt from Daintree River, Queensland, Australia (call)

Breeding Season (Guide)
December - July, mainly May - June.

Nest
In a hole of a tree sometimes lined with down.

Eggs (Guide)
6 - 12; smooth, lustrous cream; rounded-oval; 55 - 61 x 39 - 45 mm. Incubation: 30 days; by female.

Young
Precocial, nidifugous.

Subspecies
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:

radjah (Lesson, 1828) - New Guinea, Moluccas and Lesser Sunda islands.
rufitergum (Hartert, 1905) - Northern Australia from the Kimberleys, WA to Rockhampton, Qld.

References
See References.

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9

More... see more information (images, calls, videos etc)

Files:

More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Radjah Shelduck see... Show Articles

BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Articles about the Radjah Shelduck

If you would like to read any articles about the Radjah Shelduck...

Show Articles (0)

No Pictures of Radjah Shelduck

If Birdpedia has no pictures of Radjah Shelduck or you would like to see more, then try the following...

Show External Images from BING

From BING (10)

No Videos of Radjah Shelduck

If Birdpedia has no videos of Radjah Shelduck or you would like to see more, then try the following..

Show External Videos

From BING (0)

Where can I observe this species?

Select an area (or leave blank) to see locations where this species has been recorded.

Area

All

Optional: Complete the following if you wish to restrict the reserve to within a given distance of a location.

Please enter the Latitude and Longitiude of a given location together with the maximum distance (km) to display a list of reserves within that distance. You must enter a Latitude, a Longitude and a distance greater than 0.

Latitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence)

Deg	Min	Sec			Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)
				or	GPS help

Longitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence)

Deg	Min	Sec			Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)
				or	Find GPS using Google Maps

Distance	Bearing
		Get Sample GPS readings

On What Field Trips was this species observed?

Select an area (or leave blank), and a date range, to see field trips on which this species has been recorded.

Area

All

From	To

Latitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence)

Deg	Min	Sec			Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)
				or	GPS help

Longitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence)

Deg	Min	Sec			Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)
				or

Distance	Bearing
		Get Sample GPS readings

Latest Sightings for Radjah Shelduck