The radjah shelduck, is a species of shelduck found mostly in New Guinea and Australia, and also on some of the Moluccas. It is known alternatively as the raja shelduck, black-backed shelduck, or in Australia as the Burdekin duck.
Region
Australasia (New Guinea and northern Australia)
Typical Environment
Occurs along the coasts and lowlands of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, and northern Australia from the Kimberley across the Top End to Cape York. Favors quiet, shallow waters including brackish lagoons, mangrove-lined creeks, estuaries, and freshwater swamps. Frequently uses paperbark swamps and seasonal floodplains and may roost in trees near water. Local movements follow rainfall and changing water levels, but populations are generally resident.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 3/5
Also called the Burdekin duck in Australia, the radjah shelduck is a distinctive tropical shelduck of northern Australia and New Guinea. It often forms long-term pair bonds and defends small wetland territories. Unlike many shelducks of temperate zones, it is largely sedentary, shifting locally with rainfall and water levels.
Radjah shelduck at the London Wetland Centre
Temperament
wary but often approachable near regular roosts
Flight Pattern
strong flier with steady, direct wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups, with strong pair bonds and territorial behavior around preferred pools. Nests are typically placed in tree hollows or dense vegetation near water, lined with down. Both parents attend the brood and defend feeding areas against other waterfowl.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft whistles and low quacks, often given in contact between mates. Females give sharper, louder calls, while males produce softer wheezy whistles and hisses, especially in territorial displays.
Plumage
Mostly white body with contrasting dark chocolate-brown back and wings, and a broad dark shoulder and breast band. The flight feathers show a greenish sheen in the speculum. Plumage is crisp and clean-lined, giving a striking two-toned appearance.
Diet
Feeds by dabbling and up-ending in shallow water, taking aquatic insects, small crustaceans, mollusks, and worms. Also consumes seeds, young shoots, and algae from wetland margins. Forages along mudflats and in mangrove creeks at low tide, switching to freshwater swamps when available.
Preferred Environment
Shallow brackish lagoons, tidal flats, and mangrove-lined creeks; also calm freshwater swamps and floodplain pools. Prefers sheltered waters with abundant edge vegetation and soft substrates for probing.
