Ruddy Shelduk : Arrived For Winter Stay
The first batch of about 50 members of the Ruddy Shelduk, popularly known as ‘Surkhab’ birds, arrived in Uttarakhand for a six month winter stay.
- Ruddy Shelduk (Tadorna ferruginea) belongs to the family Anatidae under the order Anseriformes.
- In India it is known as the Brahminy duck.
- It is distributed in Europe, Asia, Indian Subcontinent and a few pockets in Africa.
- These ducks are migratory birds.
- They winter in the Indian Subcontinent, South India and Southeast Asia.
- They inhabit large wetlands, salt lakes, crater lakes, rivers with mud flats and shingle banks.
- It is omnivorous and feeds on grasses, the young shoots of plants, grain and water plants as well as both aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates.
- They are no sitting ducks; they scale the mighty Himalayas when flying to India from the north attaining heights of 6,800 metres.
- Conservation status
- IUCN : Least Concern
