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Waterproofing & Waddling

for Wednesday!

Today's blog post is about the gorgeous Shelduck.

Australian Shelduck: is a large beautifully coloured duck.

Scientific name: Tadorna tadornoides

The male's are solidly built and their head and neck are black with a tinge of green

and a distinct white ring on their neck.

They are very handsome!

 The female is distinguished from the males by a white ring around her eye and

white feathers at the base of her bill. She can have a white neck ring which can be narrower than the males, or it can be missing.

Shelducks are typically monogamous, and both participate in the rearing of

their fluffy ducklings.

😲 Surprising fact: Shelduck pairs communicate with unusual duets. The male honks loudly whilst the female responds with a quick buzzing sound. 😲

They prefer fresh waters and after breeding, some migrate very long distances to wetlands to moult their flight and tail feathers.

Today, I was blessed to see a family of Shelducks bathing

(apparently, this activity is also known as water play).

It's so wonderful watching the ducks preening and waterproofing their feathers.

I picked up one of their feathers that was in the water,

and it was just so soft and fluffy.

My heart melted.

The bathing routine involves dipping the head many times and beating and flapping the wings on the surface of the water to rinse off dirt and bugs.

After bathing is complete, preening commences. 

This is how they protect their feathers.

Ducks do this by taking the natural oils from their uropygial (preen) gland at the base of their tail and spreading the oils across their plumage for waterproofing.

Once this is all done together - a group activity 😊

the family of Shelducks waddle off.

Check out the video of bath time here.

Awww so beautiful.

I love birds - they make me happy!!

💚 Enjoy Every Moment! 💚

#AustralianShelducks #MumDad&Ducklings #Waterproofing #BirdTherapy

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