South African Shelduck
South African ShelduckSouth African ShelduckSouth African ShelduckSouth African Shelduck

South African Shelduck

Tadorna cana

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Insufficient data
overall probability at Waterberg Plateau Park
1 Verified records at Waterberg Plateau Park
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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. This species is mainly associated with lakes and rivers in fairly open country, breeding in disused mammal holes, usually those of the aardvark. Pairs tend to be very nomadic when not in breeding season. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Waterberg Plateau Park

Comb Duck
LC

Comb Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Insufficient data
Red-billed Teal
LC

Red-billed Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas erythrorhyncha

Insufficient data
Egyptian Goose
LC

Egyptian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of South African Shelduck at Waterberg Plateau Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
30–40%
2 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
3 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
10–20%
4 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
5 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
6 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
7 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
8 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
9 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
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