Tadorninae
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The Tadorninae is a subfamily of the Anatidae, the biological family that includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as the (geese and swans).
This subfamily includes the shelducks, sheldgeese and steamer-ducks. This group of larger, often semi-terrestrial waterfowl can be seen as intermediate between geese (Anserinae) and ducks.
This group is largely tropical or Southern Hemisphere in distribution, with only two species, the common Shelduck and the Ruddy Shelduck breeding in northern temperate regions, though the Crested Shelduck (presumed extinct) was also a northern species.
Most of these species have a distinctive plumage, but there is no pattern as to whether the sexes are alike, even within a single genus.
There are 10 extant genera and 23 living species (one is probably extinct):
- Sarkidiornis (South America, Africa, India)
- *Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos
- Pachyanas (Chatham Islands, extinct)
- *Chatham Island Duck Pachyanas chathamica
- Tadorna, shelducks (Europe, Africa, Australasia, 7 species)
- *Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
- *Cape Shelduck Tadorna cana
- *Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides
- *Paradise Shelduck Tadorna variegata
- *Crested Shelduck Tadorna cristata
- *Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
- *Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah
- Malacorhynchus (Australia, 1 living species, 1 extinct)
- *Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus
- *Scarlett's Duck Malacorhynchus scarletti
- Centrornis (Madagascar, extinct)
- *Madagascar Sheldgoose Centrornis majori
- Alopochen (Africa, 1 living species, 2-3 extinct)
- * Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus
- * Réunion Shelduck Alopochen kervazoi
- * Mauritius Shelduck Alopochen mauritianus
- * Madagascar Shelduck Alopochen sirabensis (may be the same as A. mauritianus)
- Neochen (South America)
- *Orinoco Goose Neochen jubata
- Chloephaga, sheldgeese (South America, 5 species)
- *Andean Goose Chloephaga melanoptera
- *Magellan Goose Chloephaga picta
- *Kelp Goose Chloephaga hybrida
- *Ashy-headed Goose Chloephaga poliocephala
- *Ruddy-headed Goose Chloephaga rubidiceps
- Cyanochen (Ethiopia)
- *Blue-winged Goose Cyanochen cyanopterus
- Hymenolaimus (New Zealand)
- *Blue Duck Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
- Merganetta (Andes Mts., South America)
- *Torrent Duck Merganetta armata
- Tachyeres, steamer ducks (South America, 4 species).
- *Flying Steamer Duck Tachyeres patachonicus
- *Magellanic Flightless Steamer Duck Tachyeres pteneres
- *White-headed Flightless Steamer Duck Tachyeres leucocephalus
- *Falkland Flightless Steamer Duck Tachyeres brachypterus
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