 | Psilos Wildfowl Photography |
Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata) |
Outside of captivity the Paradise Shelduck is endemic to New Zealand and is found nowhere else in the world. They are one bird that has benefited from the colonisation of the island as forest was cleared to make room for pasture, the ducks preferred habitat. The male is black whilst the female is brown with a white head and only during the moulting season are they ever seen apart. Breeding maturity is reached at 2 years and the birds often pair for life. Their diet consists of grass, weeds, peas and grain. |
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