RADJAH SHELDUCK
Radjah radjah
DESCRIPTION
The Radjah Shelduck is a distinctive waterbird found across northern Australia. It has a mostly white head and body, a dark band across the chest, dark wingtips and beautiful green colouring across the upper wings. Its long wings make it a strong and graceful flyer.
QUICK FACTS
• Radjah Shelducks are native to northern Australia and New Guinea.
• Males and females look very similar.
• Their wings reveal striking green, white and black colouring when spread.
• They are usually seen in pairs or small groups.
• They nest in tree hollows, often close to water.
• Both parents help protect their young.
• They may use both freshwater and slightly salty coastal wetlands.
WHERE IT LIVES
Radjah Shelducks live across tropical northern Australia, including the wetlands of Kakadu National Park. They favour freshwater and brackish wetlands, floodplains, billabongs, mangroves and tidal waterways.
WHAT IT EATS
hey feed on aquatic plants, seeds, grasses, insects, molluscs and other small aquatic animals. They often forage in shallow water and around muddy wetland edges.
PETE'S PHOTO STORY
Sometimes you don’t see the real beauty of a bird until you freeze a moment in a photograph. The Radjah Shelduck can look quite simple from a distance, but when this one opened its wings to land, all those hidden patterns suddenly appeared. The green, black and white feathers transformed what looked like an ordinary duck into something quite spectacular.