The Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) is one of the most distinctive bird species in Ukraine. Unlike most ducks, it does not build its own nests. Instead, it utilizes ready-made natural niches or hollows in clay banks. These nesting sites can sometimes be located high up—up to 10 meters above the ground.
For nesting, the Ruddy Shelduck often chooses abandoned burrows of mammals such as foxes and badgers, and occasionally even inhabits active burrows. This behavior has earned the species the nickname “earth duck.” The same nesting site may be used for several consecutive years by the same pair of birds.
Despite being a rare species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, the Ruddy Shelduck has become an actively nesting species within the Kuialnytskyi National Nature Park.
Photo by Ihor Herzhyk
