South African Shelduck
Tadorna cana
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Ducks, Swans, and Geese (Anatidae)
- Order
- Anseriformes
Overview
The South African shelduck or Cape shelduck (Tadorna cana) is a species of shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds in the bird family Anatidae, which includes the swans, geese and ducks. This is a common species native to southern Africa.
This is a 64 cm (25 in) long bird which breeds mainly in Namibia and South Africa. In the austral winter, many birds move north-east from the breeding range to favoured moulting grounds, where sizable concentrations occur.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Karoo of southern Africa.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: South African shelduck
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.