# 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. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Common Shelduck](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/2014-04-18_Tadorna_tadorna_pair%252C_Swallow_Pond.jpg&width=800) Photo: MPF, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2014-04-18_Tadorna_tadorna_pair%252C_Swallow_Pond.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Tadorna ## 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 - **Burrow Dweller:** Common Shelducks can nest deep inside old rabbit burrows, which helps protect their eggs and ducklings from predators. - **Mud Sifter:** Common Shelducks have a specialized bill that allows them to filter tiny snails and seeds from the muddy shores they feed on. - **Daycare Organizer:** 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 - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Foxes are common predators of eggs, ducklings, and adults. - **Shelter:** [European Rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — Shelducks often use abandoned rabbit burrows for nesting. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Shelduck? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Shelduck? 55-70 cm ### What is Common Shelduck's wingspan? 110-145 cm ### How much does Common Shelduck weigh? 0.8-1.5 kg ### How long does Common Shelduck live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Common Shelduck move? 80 km/h ### What does Common Shelduck eat? They filter tiny creatures and plant material from mud and water with their specialized bill. ### Where is Common Shelduck usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Fota Wildlife Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fota-wildlife-park) — Municipal District of Cobh, IE · Zoo - [Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-saxony-wadden-sea-national-park) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park - [Saladas de Chiprana Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/saladas-de-chiprana-nature-reserve) — Aragón, ES · Park - [Alcázar de San Juan Lagoon Complex Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alcazar-de-san-juan-lagoon-complex-nature-reserve) — Castilla-La Mancha, ES · Park - [Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Águila Regional Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/calblanque-regional-park) — Región de Murcia, ES · Park - [Naturpark Schlei](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-schlei) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Park [View all places to see Common Shelduck](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-shelduck) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Shelduck: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-shelduck)