Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferruginea · Călifar roșu
A striking orange-brown shelduck of saline and brackish waters, resident in Dobrogea and the eastern lowlands.
At a glance
- Status in Romania
- Resident
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Diet
- Grass, leaves, seeds and stems of aquatic and marsh plants, cereals and crops, plus invertebrates, small fish and amphibians.
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
- Photography difficulty
- Moderate
Photograph this species
- Best months
- All year
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Photography difficulty
- Moderate
- Where to look
- Saline lakes and brackish lagoons in Dobrogea and the eastern plains.
Months confirmed by a Romanian source. General guidance, not local sightings.
Photography Guide
Practical starting points based on the species’ behaviour and habitat, not fixed rules.
- Where and how to look
- Saline lakes and brackish lagoons in Dobrogea and the eastern plains.
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Behaviour to anticipate
- Pairs flying low between water bodies, calling loudly.
- Photography difficulty
- Moderate
- Starting shutter speed
- 1/2000 sec for flight.
- Fieldcraft
- Open shores mean little cover — arrive early and stay low.
- Ethics
- Do not feed birds to attract them, and avoid flushing resting or feeding flocks.
Identification
Habitat
Distribution
Approximate range in Romania
Diet
Behaviour
Seasonality in Romania
Resident in Romania, in Dobrogea, the eastern Romanian Plain and, more locally, the West Plain.
Presence
Breeding
Migration
Wintering
About this data
Source-verified months inform the seasonal filters. Local timing can vary. Unconfirmed months do not imply absence. Presence verification is separate from monthly status; each month's details identify its verification. Lighter bands mark estimated timing. Empty event rows mean no event is recorded, not confirmed absence.