SPECIES PROFILE
THE shelducks (genus Tadorna) are often viewed as the link between geese and ducks, and have characteristics they share with geese. Unlike the other five species of shelduck, the ruddy shelduck (T. ferruginea) is relatively uniform in colour. Free-breeding, hardy and long-lived, it has a prominent history in waterfowl collections. It is a long-term resident at St James's Park and was first bred in the UK in 1862 at London Zoo.
This attractive waterfowl is native to Asia, North Africa and southern Europe. Before wetland drainage and the impact of hunting’ especially in Mediterranean countries’ it was once more common in Europe. However, it has recently expanded its range into western Europe and the Canary Islands, although it remains fundamentally an Asian species,
