Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)
I photographed two Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) in an irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane) yesterday evening, April 13. This was my first visit to the area for about one month, so I have no idea how long these two birds have been present, but it seems they have already been reported to SEO/Birdlife on Tenerife.
The Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) is a "recent coloniser" of the island of Fuerteventura, where it continues to breed since first reported in spring 1994. Given the absence of older records, the appearance of this species on Fuerteventura was originally suspected to be the result of accidental escapes, but evidence now points to a natural Western Saharan origin for the island's resident breeding population (Atlas de las Aves Nidificantes en el Archipiélago Canario, SEO/Birdlife).
In addition to the island of Fuerteventura, there have been isolated sightings on Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, but none, to the best of my knowledge on La Palma, La Gomera or El Hierro. The two birds presently on La Palma might originate from Fuerteventura, or equally well, from the not-so-distant African continent. The strong easterly winds experienced recently on La Palma could have affected the flight paths of these, and other migratory birds currently present on the island.
Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) + domestic Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata), and following images below:
While accidental escape from a private collection or local zoo theoretically cannot be entirely discounted, the birds' cautious behaviour argues against previous domestication or captivity.
One of the two birds has a faint dark neck band, so is obviously a male. The other bird is considerably smaller, lacks the neck band, and has much more white on the neck and throat, indicative of a female. As this appears to be a pair, a late attempt at breeding could possibly ensue.
