#0894 · 🐦 birds

South African Shelduck

🇳🇱 Kaapse Casarca ·Tadorna cana

LCleast concern 🐦 Birds 📍 in the Netherlands (introduced)

9 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

The South African shelduck or Cape shelduck ( Tadorna cana ) is a species of shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. This is a common endemic species to South Africa.

base stats

NL sightings 6iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 2,271iNaturalist observations
weight 1.8 kgadult, up to
threat LCleast concern

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 6 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist.
2,271 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Weighs up to about 1.8 kg.
Scientifically named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789 (237 years ago).
Not originally Dutch: it was introduced to the Netherlands.

fact sheet

English: South African Shelduck
Nederlands: Kaapse Casarca
scientific name: Tadorna cana
class: Aves
order: Anseriformes
family: Anatidae
IUCN Red List: LC · least concern
in NL: introduced
sightings in NL: 6
sightings in Europe: 65
sightings worldwide: 2,271
GBIF records in NL: 281
weight: 1.8 kg
length: —
lifespan: —
named: 1789 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin

IUCN in Dutch: niet bedreigd. Blank means the sources don't say.

relatives· Anatidae

Sources: iNaturalist taxon 7071, Wikidata Q1065465, GBIF 2498010, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.