Birds · Anseriformes · Anatidae

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

A striking waterfowl intermediate in appearance between a duck and a goose, with its legs set well under the body to make grazing easier. White plumage with a greenish-black head and neck forming a hood, a broad reddish-brown collar across the breast and black areas on the belly, tail and scapulars. The bill is red and in males carries a frontal knob that swells in the breeding season.

Weight

562 g – 1.5 kg

Size

58 cm – 71 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanFreshwaterOmnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Ocean Freshwater

45countries 63parks42same family

Fun facts

It places its nest in cavities a long way from water, which forces the newly hatched ducklings to make an overland journey that can be very dangerous for them.
The ducklings gather in large crèches with the young of other pairs, watched over by a few adults and by birds that have failed to breed.
Most pairs leave their young before they are fully grown and head for quiet areas by the sea to moult, a period in which they lose their flight feathers and cannot fly.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Sandy and muddy coasts, almost always associated with halophytic vegetation, and sometimes inland wetlands. It breeds on dry land, in natural cavities or in holes dug by other animals, above all rabbit burrows, often a long way from water
Birth weight: Precocial: born covered in down and leaves the nest within a few hours
Size at birth: Precocial: born covered in down and leaves the nest within a few hours
Sexual maturity: Females at 2 years; males at 4 or 5
Gestation / incubation: 29-31 days, with the female incubating alone
Litter / clutch size: 3-12 eggs, commonly 8-10, glossy white. A single brood a year, with replacement clutches if they are destroyed early. The chicks are independent at only 15-20 days and develop full plumage in 45-50 days

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; SEO/BirdLife (ficha y Libro Rojo de las Aves de España); Universidad de Málaga (UMA Divulga); IEPNB (EIDOS); Zoobotánico de Jerez; Linnaeus 1758