Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

The Common Shelduck is a beautiful bird with a striking mix of colors. They are often seen near water, where they love to swim and dive for food.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Common Shelduck is a large, striking duck with a dark green head, a bright white body, and a broad chestnut-brown band across its chest. It has vibrant pink legs and a distinctive bright red bill with a prominent knob, especially noticeable on males.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusTadorna

Common Shelduck

Interesting facts

Female shelducks can lay their eggs deep inside abandoned rabbit warrens for protection.

Hundreds of ducklings often swim together in giant 'nurseries' watched over by just a few adults!

Their unique red bill has a funny-looking knob that grows bigger on males during breeding season.

They gather in huge groups, sometimes thousands, to safely molt their old flight feathers!

Special abilities

Common Shelducks can nest deep inside old rabbit burrows, which helps protect their eggs and ducklings from predators.

Common Shelducks have a specialized bill that allows them to filter tiny snails and seeds from the muddy shores they feed on.

Common Shelducks form 'crèches' where many adult birds collectively guard a large group of ducklings, protecting them from dangers.

Measurements & details

Length: 55-70 cm
Wingspan: 110-145 cm
Weight: 0.8-1.5 kg
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Top Speed: 80 km/h
Clutch Size: 7-12
Incubation: 29-31 days
Migration Distance: 1500 km

Diet & Feeding

They filter tiny creatures and plant material from mud and water with their specialized bill.

Primary Foods

Hydrobia ulvae (mud snails)
insect larvae
small crustaceans
algae
seeds

Foraging Method

Filter Feeding

Ecological connections

eats

mud snail

Hydrobia ulvae

A primary food source in intertidal mudflats.

eaten by

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Foxes are common predators of eggs, ducklings, and adults.

shelters

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Shelducks often use abandoned rabbit burrows for nesting.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Omnivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.