The Story
This is a Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) that I photographed at the Zhangye National Wetland Park in Zhangye, Gansu, China on March 28, 2018. It is a distinctive waterfowl with orange-brown body plumage, a paler head and white wing-coverts that contrast with black flight feathers. It breeds in southeastern Europe and central Asia and winters mainly in the Indian subcontinent. Pairs form a lasting bond, and the nest may be well away from water, in a hole in a cliff or tree. IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. Zhangye’s wetlands are a stopover on the Central Asian flyway, one of the world’s major bird migration routes.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW, at 1/800 sec, f/8, ISO 200. Wetlands like this one are a stopover for migrating birds in the dry Hexi Corridor, and their protection depends on keeping water in the Heihe.
©2018 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) belongs to the family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List