Birds › Mountain lake › Ruddy Shelduck

Ruddy Shelduck

Tadorna ferruginea

Often nests in holes in cliffs or burrows, sometimes far from water. Tibetan Buddhists consider it sacred.

Where to see it for real: Common on high lakes and rivers of the Tibetan Plateau.

Spot it in the game

Lives in the Mountain lake habitat (Eastern Himalayas, Yunnan, China, at about 3,700 m).

Ruddy Shelduck facts

Family

Ducks, geese and swans

Length

25 in (64 cm)

Wingspan

47 in (120 cm)

Weight

2.9 lb (1.3 kg)

Diet

Grass, seeds, water plants and small water animals.

Range

Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and southeastern Europe; winters in India and southern China.

Nest

A hole in a cliff, a burrow or a tree, sometimes far from water.

Song

Loud, honking "aang" calls, like a goose.

Active

at dawn, by day and at dusk

Status

Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: widespread and not at risk.

What the Ruddy Shelduck sounds like

How to attract the Ruddy Shelduck

Feeder foods, favorite first: millet. Feeders that hold them: tube feeder and platform feeder. Keep a bird bath full, too.

In the game: fill a feeder with millet and keep the bird bath full. It is a common visitor.

More: bird songs and calls, what to feed birds.

More birds of the mountain lake

Black-necked CraneMountain lakeBar-headed GooseMountain lakeBrown-headed GullMountain lakeWhite WagtailMountain lakeRed-billed ChoughMountain lakePlumbeous RedstartMountain lake