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Radjah Shelduck, a new duck around the lakes

on 3rd October 2007

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On 9th June 2006, Tang Hung Bun captured an image of a duck perching atop a street lamp along Bukit Timah Road, near Raffles Town Club.

The white duck has a brown back and wing tips and a rusty band across its breast. Its legs, feet, bill and eyes are pinkish.

This duck is new to Singapore. KC Tsang helped identify it as Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah), also known as Burdekin Duck, from the Northern Australian coast and parts of Indonesia.

For at least a year, if not longer, the duck can be seen in the Symphony and Eco Lakes of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Apparently it has been wandering around the island.

Introduced as a free-ranging bird? Escapee?

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Incidentally, the Radjah Shelduck is listed as a protected bird in all states of Australia.

KC Tsang & Tang Hung Bun
Singapore
October 2007

Images: Tang (duck on street lamp) and KC (others)

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

4 Responses

  1. I have a sneaky feeling that its from the Zoo or Bird Park.They do have a couple of free ranging ducks and some of these are not clipped so when the flight feathers grew they gladly took off. Some have become ‘localised’ resident.They fly away but come back to roost at Zoo or Bird Park..

  2. Interesting! We have cases of escapees such as Black Swans, Muscovy Ducks, and flamingoes, but who knows? Birds travel so much and they are so unpredictable!

  3. Seen these ducks recently (a few months back).
    They were usually in pairs and wading around in the canal during low tide or sitting still on the concrete pipe “bridge”.

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