General
- Pugnacious and competitive (Fatima Lujan, personal communication, 2018; Phoebe Vaughan, personal communication, 2018)
- Alert (Fatima Lujan, personal communication, 2018)
Shelter requirements
(Fatima Lujan, personal communication, 2018, except as noted)
- Large pond for swimming
- Vegetation for hiding
- Banks and in-water logs/branches for resting
- High vantage points to observe surroundings
- Translucent skin (beak, feet) sensitive to hot surfaces and sun exposure (Phoebe Vaughan, personal communication, 2018)
Social interactions
(Phoebe Vaughan, personal communication, 2018)
- Can be kept in groups
- During breeding, commonly pair off and defend territory
- Birds can be paired prior to introduction to a group
- Juveniles benefit from exposure to older, more docile groups
- Reduces territorial behavior
Diet and feeding
(Fatima Lujan, personal communication, 2018)
- Adult diet
- Floating pellets (nutrition composition for waterfowl)
- Spray millet
- Lettuce
- Meal worms and crickets—as special treats
- Duckling diet
- Small floating pellet
- Nutrition composition for young waterfowl
- More protein than adult pellet
Breeding
(Phoebe Vaughan, personal communication, 2018)
- Prefer a burrow, cavity, or nest box
- Begin laying in April (early spring) [Slimbridge]
- Precautions should be taken to avoid acclimation of young to humans
- May hinder social interactions with Radjah Ducks during development
- Reported to hybridize with Ruddy and Common Shelducks (Johnsgard 1965)
Enrichment and training
- Low branches for perching (Phoebe Vaughan, personal communication, 2018)
- Water tubs for splashing and play (in addition to large pond) (Fatima Lujan, personal communication, 2018)
