Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Common Shelduck
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Tadorna tadorna
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Voice
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Song
Pascal Christe
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
How to recognize it
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58–67 cm, larger than a mallard
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White body, black head and belly
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Bright red bill, pink legs
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In flight, dark wings with mostly white underwings
About the species
The Common Shelduck moves with an upright, goose-like way of walking and often feeds along shorelines rather than deep water. On the ground it can run well, and in flight its wingbeats are slow and spaced out.
It gives a loud honk, and paired shelducks can be noisy when they meet or court. In the breeding season the male chases the female, stretches his neck, and raises his wings while calling.
It uses salt marshes, estuaries, tidal flats, lakes, and other open waters, often nesting in rabbit burrows, tree holes, old buildings, haystacks, or even shallow scrapes on the ground. Its food is mostly small crabs, mollusks, insect larvae, and other small aquatic animals, and many populations move south in winter while some western groups stay near their breeding areas.
Where to find
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Along shallow canal edges, pond margins, and brackish inlets — where mud flats are exposed, Common Shelduck feed by sweeping their bills through the mud.
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At river mouths and tidal banks after the water drops — look for pairs or small groups wading on the open shallows.
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On sandy or silty waterfronts with reed patches — a loud honking call often gives away a pair sitting tight at the water’s edge.
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Near old bridges and stone quays — they may rest close to the bank, then lift off noisily when people come near.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Tadorna tadorna Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Common shelduck Encyclopedia article