Living in a city built at a major river fork has made me pretty familiar with the sight of ducks — and Canada geese, but the less said about those devils, the better.
However, like many North Americans, it's the classic mallard duck that frequents my local waterways, parks, and random parking lot puddles.
Not that mallards aren't lovely on their own, but when I see examples of birds like the Mandarin duck or these ruddy shelducks, I feel a bit let down by the humble brown and green mallards.
In India, where the species spends its winters, ruddy shelducks are also known as Brahminy ducks.
In the warmer months, they live and breed in southeastern Europe, Central Asia, and small pockets of northern Africa.
Their "loud, wild honking" probably aids the goose comparison.
Also like a certain notorious geese species, ruddy shelducks get very aggressive during breeding season and will defend their nests violently.
The species eats mostly vegetation, but will also supplement worms, insects, or even small fish for extra protein.
They aren't currently considered a threatened species, but habitat loss has severely impacted the European population, making them a rare sight along the westernmost side of their range.
h/t: Beauty of Birds, Oiseaux-Birds
