Xarifa & Calypso - GPS-tagged Shelducks in the Seewinkel - Leander Khil

This summer, I tagged and released two juvenile Common Shelducks / Brandgänse (Tadorna tadorna) that we raised at St. Martins Therme & Lodge. Xarifa and Calypso were wild born but lost their parents and ended up as orphans. Thanks to the lodge's support and with some luck, we could solve a mystery of Austria's bird life. Both birds now carry GPS tags (satellite transmitters), in order to reveal the still unknown wintering and moulting sites of the Shelducks breeding in Austria. Wish them good luck, a long life and follow their journey here: https://bit.ly/2vIawmn (regular diary entries and updates of the map) or on the Animal Tracker App for mobile devices.

This project was made possible by St. Martins Therme & Lodge | Nationalpark Neusiedler See - Seewinkel | Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Calypso was released on 1 August 2018 at Östliche Wörthenlacke, Seewinkel.

At the height of summer, Östliche Wörthenlacke was one of only very few salt lakes in the area that had a good water level and hosted thousands of waterbirds.

After their release, both birds immediately started to feed in the mud, took a bath and joined the other Common Shelducks.

The satellite tags were funded by St. Martins Therme & Lodge, the Neusiedler See - Seewinkel National Park supported the release. We received two lime color rings from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Slimbridge, UK. Thank you very much!

Xarifa was released at the same site on 5 July 2018.