Ruddy shelduck flocks spotted in Tawang

Flocks of ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) were spotted at Sangetser Lake and PT Tso Lake in Tawang district on Monday.

The ruddy shelduck is a migratory bird which winters in the Indian subcontinent and breeds in southeastern Europe and central Asia. It is known for its orange-brown body plumage with a paler head, while the tail and the flight feathers in the wings are black, contrasting with the white wing-coverts.

“These birds visit both Sangetser Lake and PT Tso Lake in December. They live here without any disturbance for nearly two months,” said Tawang resident Lobsang Chopel.

Although the ruddy shelduck is known to breed in the high altitude lakes in Ladakh and Sikkim, a survey team comprising Aishwarya Maheshwari, Kripaljyoti Mazumdar and Pema Wang of the WWF (western Arunachal landscape) reported the sighting of a breeding pair of ruddy shelduck with seven chicks at

Tsomgo Ama wetland, located at an altitude of 4,535 mtrs, in the Thembang Bapu Community Conserved Area in West Kameng district.

This sighting could indicate a potential new breeding site, claimed a report.