Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea x Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides hybrid

The extensive orange plumage of this bird points to Ruddy Shelduck or Cape Shelduck as one parent, and the orange tones on the head suggest Ruddy over Cape (both were present in the collection). Although some Ruddy Shelduck x Common Shelduck hybrids have grey vermiculated body feathers the darkness of this one suggested either Paradise Shelduck or Australian Shelduck. The contrastingly clean orange breast is probably indicative of Australian rather than Paradise, and the fact that a single male Australian Shelduck was in the same collection lends weight to this theory.

captive Ruddy Shelduck x Australian Shelduck hybrid (with Ruddy Shelduck), Grange-over-Sands (Cumbria, UK), 28th December 2011

A year later it was still present, though I couldn't see the Australian parent (presumed) there any longer.

captive Ruddy Shelduck x Australian Shelduck hybrid (with Ruddy Shelduck), Grange-over-Sands (Cumbria, UK), 27th December 2012

For comparison, here are photos of the parent species.

escaped Ruddy Shelduck, Beetley (Norfolk, UK), 2nd March 2014 and captive Australian Shelduck, Grange-over-Sands (Cumbria, UK), 28th December 2011

For more photos of these species follow the links below:

• Ruddy Shelduck
• Australian Shelduck