Moluccan Radjah Shelduck

Description:

Both the male and female Moluccan Radjah Shelducks (Tadorna radjah) are similar in their black and white coloring. Their heads, necks and under parts are white. Their wings and a prominent band across their breast are black. The Radjah ducks secondary feathers are metallic green in color with white tips. Their legs, feet and bill are light pink. These shelducks have a body length of 51 to 61 cm. The wingspan is approximately twice the body length. The juveniles of this species are similar to the adults, but the white plumage is duller in color with a brown tinge on the crown and neck. Their legs, bill, and feet are whitish in color. Their iris is dark brown. The Radjah chicks have black markings and a chestnut brown cap, which stretches to the eyes. There are a pair of very distinct white spots on the inside of the wings, each side of the upper back and one on each side of the lower back. These markings are only in the chick stage and they will grow out of it when they reach the juvenile stage. The eggs of this species are creamy white in color and have an average size of 60 x 42 mm. https://brevardzoo.org/animals/australas...

Habitat:

Zoo