IJZENDOORN ALJV (1951) An obseruation of the Ruddy Sheld-Duck. LIMOSA 24 (3): 133-136.

On 7 March 1950 I observed a Ruddy Sheld-Duck. swimming in the company of some 100 common Sheld-Ducks. ill the coastal zone of the "Waddenzee" (tidal sea ). near the former Island of Wieringen. Its orange-brown coloration. black bill. pale sides of head. black wing-tips and cinnamon under tail-coverts were clearly seen. The absence of a black collar and the whitish cheeks pointed to the duck being a female.
When foraging the duck continually dipped its head and often also part of its neck into the water. Then the bird seemed to be conspicuously slim and a little larger than the Sheld-Ducks as the body was held flat on the water. Also when swimming the body was held flat. This is contrary to the remark in the "Handbook of British Birds" (1947 III p 227) where it reads swimming well enough with head erect fore-parts low and stern high Though being in the company of Sheld-Ducks (Tadorna ladorna) one could hardly detect any association with them. and the bird did not pay the least attention to the display of these closely related ducks.
According to the handbook "De Nederlandsche Vogels" (1941) Casarca ferru ginea has only been observed in the Netherlands on 5 occasions. The bird described here did not seem to be an escape but it is of course hardly possible to make certain about its really wild origin. Therefore it is urged to compile a waterfowl register in Holland too, according to the scheme proposed by Peter Scoti.
Vagrants of this species are recorded from many West and South European countries, and in some years (e.g. 1892J1 893, and possibly also 1921) there seem to have taken place real "irruptions" of this species in these countries. The Ruddy Sheld-Duck is a breeding bird of some Mediterranean and N. African regions, also of the Balkans. Russia. Asia Minor and other Asiatic countries. east to Mongolia. Normally it migrates S.W. S.or S.E.wards. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

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