The ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), known in India as the Brahminy duck, has beautiful rusty orange plumage. The male has orange brown plumage with a lighter face and crown with a black collar around the neck just above the breast. The female is similar to the male except it is lighter in the face and lacks the neck collar. The ruddy shelduck has been known to fly at altitudes of up to 6,800 metres (22,000 feet) – more than eight times higher than the world’s tallest structure, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The ruddy shelduck has a faster climb rate than the bar-headed goose - the only waterfowl known to fly even higher. Scientists are still puzzling out how the species is able to cope at such an altitude. The ruddy shelduck is found around the world.
