Australian shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides) is found in western and southern Australia. This is also rarely found in New Zealand. This unique duck has a white neck band that separates a black upper neck and head from an orange breast and orange upper back. The wings are dark when on water, but when flying they show considerable white on both dorsal and ventral sides. Sometimes there is white around the eyes.

There are no subspecies.

The shelduck genus (Tadorna) contains 7 species. However, one Oriental species is extinct, so only 6 species remain. This genus is found from Europe to China and south to Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. These ducks range in weight from just under 2 pounds to over 3 pounds. Shelducks do not breed their first year. Generally, the females are also brightly colored. These ducks are not considered good eating. Some shelducks are vegetarians and others eat mollusks. These ducks are frequently found near salt water.

Taxonomists have long been confused by the group of waterfowl that belong between the ducks and the geese. Howard and Moore created a tribe(subfamily) entitled Tadorninae for this group of genera. We have elected to follow their lead even though Monroe and Sibley in 1993 kept these genera within their Anserini. Genera such as Alopochen, Chloephaga, Cyanochen, Hymenoclaimus, Merganetta, Neochen, Plectropterus, Sarkidiornis, Tachyeres, and Tadorna now belong here.

We have placed about 25 species here including several extinct species. We list the genera in alphabetical order in the data base. In the overview below we have followed the H&M sequence.

The 1 species of BLUE DUCK
Hymenoclaimus malacorhynchos - Blue Duck - New Zealand

The 4 Steamer Ducks (Genus Tachyeres) are also included although some scientists also give that group tribe status.
Tachyeres patachonicus - Flying - Chile, Argentina
Tachyeres pteneres - Magellan - Chile
Tachyeres leocophalus - White Head - Argentina
Tachyeres brachypterus - Falkland - Falkland Islands

The 3 Misc. Torrent, Spur-winged, and Comb waterfowl
Merganetta armata - Torrent Duck - Andes Mountains
Plectropterus gambensis - Spur-Wing - Africa
Sarkidiornis melanotos - Comb Duck - Widespread

Also included, 10 species, are the various Cyanochen and Chloephaga genera although that group is also sometimes given tribe status.
Cyanochen cyanopterus - Blue Wing Goose - Africa
Chloephaga hybrida - Kelp Goose - South America
Chloephaga melanoptera - Andean Goose - South America
Chloephaga picta - Magellan Goose - South America
Chloephaga poliocephala - Ashy Head Goose - South America
Chloephaga rubidiceps - Ruddy Head Goose - South America
Neochen jubatus - Orinoco Goose - South America
Alopochen aegypticus - Egyptian Goose - Africa
Alopochen mauritianus - Extinct - Mauritius
Alopochen kervazoi - Extinct - Reunion

The 7 species of Shelducks (genus Tadorna) are included although some scientists give that genus a tribe status.
Tadorna cana - Cape - South Africa
Tadorna cristata - Crested - EXTINCT Korea
Tadorna ferruginea - Ruddy - Asia,Africa,India
Tadorna tadornoides - Australian - Australia
Tadorna tadorna - Common - Eurasia
Tadorna radjah - Radjah - Austr., N.Guinea
Tadorna variegata - Paradise - New Zealand


Duck and Geese Family (Family Anatidae) contains the familiar ducks and geese. There are about 155 species in this family. (Excluding the 9 Whistling Ducks or 164 including them)

Some forms are sometimes regarded as species, and at other times are regarded as subspecies. An attempt has been made here to include as species those forms that frequently appear both ways (Anas crecca/carolinensis, for example).

It is also difficult to exactly count the species, as some authors ignore recently extinct species, and other authors include them in their counts. The following recent extinctions have also been included in the lists that follow as these may cause problems for the taxonomist trying to tie out exact counts:

Labrador Duck - Camptorhynchus labradorius
Korean Shelduck - Tadorna cristata
Madagascan White-Eye - Aythya innotata
Auckland Merganser - Mergus australis
Pink Headed Duck - Rhodonessa caryophyllaca
Sheldgoose-Mauritius - Alopochen mauritianus
Sheldgoose-Reunion - Alopochen kervazoi

This family is usually divided into several tribes as it helps the taxonomist and student alike in learning the many species. There is no agreement upon the natural subdivisions of this family. The following divisions were arbitrarily chosen and placed into an arbitrary order:

Surface Ducks - Anatinae - 64 species
Geese and Swans - Anserinae - 24 species
Freckled Duck - Stictonettinae - 1 species
Tadorna Group - Tadorninae - 25 species
Diving Ducks - Aythyinae - 25 species
Mergansers - Mergini - 7 species
Ruddy Ducks - Oxyurinae 9 species
Total 155 species

Waterfowl Order (Order Anseriformes) contains three different families of rather divergent appearance and habitat. The South American (Neotropical) Screamers contains three species. The Magpie-Goose family contains one species. And the worldwide ducks and geese (including the whistling ducks) contains about 164 species to total about 168 species in the order. Actually, at least seven of Anseriformes species are recently extinct, and different authors count these differently.

We herein separate the whistling ducks (Dendrocygninidae) into a separate order and family.

The members of this order have three foreward pointing toes that are webbed. The hind toe is free, but very small. The top bill is wide, and the lower bill is smaller. The diving ducks can have narrow bills.

Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000. Birdlife recognizes 10,027 species as of 2011.

However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.

Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.

The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.

For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago. However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.

When this project was begun in 1978, we used Austin & Singer for bird taxonomy. Since then, we have adopted many changes, but have kept some older concepts that are still found widely in the literature. Recently, we have used Clements and Howard & Moore. Very recently, we have used Monroe and Sibley for the higher taxonomy of the perching birds.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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