Paradise Shelduck Pairs
Native to New Zealand, the
Paradise Shelduck is a large duck breed and a prized game bird in its native territory. This duck breed is large and goose like, similar to its other
Shelduck relatives. The
Paradise Shelduck shares many of the other qualities that are characteristic to most breeds of
Shelduck. This breed can be extremely aggressive and territorial during the breeding season. Its temperament is fairly antisocial, and in the wild is usually only found in pairs or small flocks.
One characteristic that is common upon other
Breeds of Shelducks, but extremely uncommon among all other duck species is that the females tend to be much more brightly colored than the males. The female
Paradise Shelduck will have a bit more color with rich chestnut plumage and some black barring. The females have bright white heads and faces, and they will also have some green along white secondary wing feathers and black tipped tail feathers. The male
Paradise Shelducks will have extremely dark, almost black heads with mostly black barred body plumage. The males will have some chestnut coloring on the wing and near the tail.
Like the
Ruddy Shelduck and
Cape Shelduck, this breed is not social with other duck breeds and can be aggressive around smaller ducks, especially during mating season. It is recommended to keep them in a separate living environment for the well being of all parties. Because they normally nest in used animal holes, it is best to use some kind of buried stump or log with a hole to use as nesting.
