CRESTED SHELDUCK (Tadorna cristata), a critically endangered and possibly extinct avian species belonging to the Anatidae family. Though formerly it had been sighted in eastern Russia, Japan, and Korea, there have been no confirmed sightings since 1964, leading many to conclude it is extinct, with some even suggesting that the species was wiped out as early as the 1920s. In more recent decades, however, unconfirmed reports have hinted at the bird’s presence in northeastern China.
There are no photographs on record of the bird in the wild, and only three museum specimens are known to exist. The crested shelduck is dark in color and slightly larger than the average mallard duck. The male’s body is greenish-black and its face, chin, throat, and belly are dark gray. Both sexes have red bills and legs and white wings featuring a small green speculum. Female crested shelducks have a white face and eye-ring and their bodies are brownish in color, with barring to the lower belly area. The crested shelduck is believed to breed in eastern Russia and winter in Korea and Japan. It has been sighted in coastal areas, though the unconfirmed reports from China come from further inland.
The bird’s likeness is depicted in centuries-old Japanese illustrations as well as in Chinese tapestries. Records also show that in the eighteenth century, live crested shelducks were exported from Korea to Japan, suggesting that the bird used to be somewhat common. It is believed that populations began to decline well before the bird was first scientifically described as a unique species the late nineteenth century. Though the precise causes for the decline are unknown, speculation centers on overcollection and loss of habitat.
An investigation into the species’ probable extinction was initiated in the 1980s; three million leaflets were distributed in China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea. Pamphlets circulated by the state forestry administration in China read, “Have you seen this bird?” An additional publicity campaign generated eighty-two responses; none of the sightings were confirmed.