Radjah radjah
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The radjah shelduck (Radjah radjah) is a species of shelduck found mostly in New Guinea and Australia, and also on some of the Moluccas. It is known alternatively as the raja shelduck, black-backed shelduck, or in Australia as the Burdekin duck.
The specific name radjah is from the Moluccan name Radja for the radjah shelduck on the island of Buru in Indonesia. Formerly placed in the genus Tadorna, it differs markedly from other members in external morphology and mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data, suggesting its status should be reinvestigated. Current classification places it as the only member of the genus Radjah.
Both the male and female of the species are mostly white, with dark wing-tips and a distinctive "collar" of dark feathers. When viewed from above, during flight or with wings outstretched, green bands are visible on the tops of their wings. To communicate, the female utters a harsh rattle while the male emits a breathy, "sore-throat" whistle.
The radjah shelduck inhabits the mangrove forests and coastline of New Guinea (West Papua and Papua New Guinea) and Australia, and some of the Moluccas in eastern Indonesia... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Raja Shelduck sighting in Daintree National Park on a given day, based on 1,200 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 208 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and December
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Raja Shelduck in Daintree National Park on a given day, against about 50% in January–February and August–September, the lowest months. Those are among Daintree National Park's wettest months, with about 320 mm of rain a month against 50 mm in September.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Raja Shelduck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Raja Shelduck sightings, Daintree National Park has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 50%) and Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Anatidae
The closest relatives of the Raja Shelduck that you can see in Daintree National Park (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Spotted Whistling-Duck (about 10%) and Pacific Black Duck (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Raja Shelduck is recorded against all the birds logged in Daintree National Park (1,200 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
