AUSTRALIAN SHELDRAKE 



CASARCA TADORNOIDES (Jardine and Selby) 

 (Plate 18) 



Synonymy 

 Anas tadornoides Jardine and Selby, Illustrations of Ornith., vol. 2, pi. 62, 1828. 

 Casarca tadornoides Gould, Birds of Australia, vol. 7, pi. 7, 1844. 

 Tadorna tadornoides Hartlaub, Syst. Verz. Ges. Mus., p. 118, 1844. 

 Tadorna tadornoides westralis Mathews, Austral Avian Record, vol. 1, p. 118, 1912. 



Vernacular Names 

 English: German: 



Mountain Duck Australische Brandente or 



Chestnut-collared Sheldrake Kasarka 



Australian Sheldrake Schwarzrote Kasarka 



French: Zimmetgans 



Casarka d'Australie Aborigines of Australia: 



Goo-ra-ga 

 Gnarcoondull 

 Perna 



DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male: Head and upper neck black with metallic reflections; around the lower neck a broad 

 white collar. This separates a broad fox-red belt, comprising the mantle and breast. Back, scapulars 

 and rest of lower parts black, finely vermiculated with brown dots and lines. Wing like that of 

 Casarca variegata; lower back, rump and tail black. Under tail-coverts black. 



Bill black; legs and feet grayish brown to black. Iris brown. 



Wing 373-380 mm.; bill 41-48; tarsus 56-64. 



Adult Female: Similar but duller and smaller according to Mathews (1914-15). The feathers en- 

 circling the base of the bill are white and there is also a white ring around the eye, which broadens 

 out posteriorly. The white collar is narrower and the chestnut is not so uniform in color. Abdomen 

 brown instead of black. 



Immature Male: Differs from female in having less white at base of bill and around the eye, the 

 head brown instead of black and the chestnut collar much paler. Abdomen much paler (Mathews). 



Immature Female: Differs from adult female in having the crown of the head more freckled with 

 brown. 



Young in Down (specimens at Tring Museum) : Apparently the same as the young of the New Zea- 

 land Sheldrake, except for being somewhat lighter colored on the occiput, which may not be constant. 

 The pattern is the same as in other members of this group. 



