South african shelduck

Description

The adult has a reddish body, the coverts on the wings are white, the primary are black and the secondary are an iridescent green. The male’s head is grey, whilst the female has a white face, with a dark grey crown, nape and sides of the neck. The beak and legs are dark. 

Ethology

It is a monogamous species. During mating season, they build a nest made of vegetative material and some feathers situated in the abandoned hutches of mammals or in other cavities. They generally lay 10 eggs that they will incubate for approximately 30 days. 

Interesting facts

They are not currently under threat. The population currently seems stable and it is common to see large flocks of several hundred individuals. As they depend on finding mammals’ burrows to nest, they are exposed to significant danger. In addition, the disappearance of the black-backed jackal could affect them, as these animals normally kill the predators that prey on these birds’ eggs.