[RUDDY SHELDUCK]

Tadorna ferruginea

Status: No accepted records.

Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025).

Comments: The Nebraska reports are of single birds and are certainly escaped or released birds: one at Kearney Lake, Buffalo Co, 24 Feb 1997 was considered an escapee based on its behavior, including “aggressive begging, following people around, and approaching cars and people fearlessly” (David Rintoul, personal communication), one at Fremont Lakes SRA, Dodge Co 14-16 Feb 2013, and one near Geneva, Fillmore Co 12 Jul 2015.

Howell et al (2014) made a case that small groups appearing in fall may be wild birds. There are numerous records scattered across North America, mostly in the northeast and Great Lakes areas but including at least 20 on the Great Plains, all considered exotics/escapees (eBird.org).

Images

Abbreviations

SRA: State Recreation Area

Literature Cited

AviList Core Team, 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025.

Howell, S.N.G., I. Lewington, and W. Russell. 2014. Rare birds of North America. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, New Jersey.

Recommended Citation

Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2025.  Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org

Birds of Nebraska – Online

Updated 4 Jul 2025