Wildlifeof Nepal
Common Shelduck
Ducks, Geese & Grebes
Photo: (c) Daniel Seth Jackson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Tadorna tadorna
Basic stats
Habitat
Coasts, saline pools and estuaries; in Asia, inland salt lakes and increasingly freshwater
Range
Widespread in the Palearctic; winters in temperate to subtropical regions
Size
55–65cm
Wingspan
100–120cm
The common shelduck resembles a small, short-necked goose, 55 to 65cm long with a wingspan of 100 to 120cm. It has a reddish-pink bill and pink feet, a white body with chestnut patches and a black belly, and a dark green head and neck. The male is particularly crisply coloured in the breeding season, his bill bright red with a prominent knob at the base (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is widespread and common in the Palearctic, breeding on temperate coasts, saline pools and estuaries in Europe and north-west Africa and on inland salt lakes in Asia. Like geese and unlike most ducks, both parents protect the ducklings and lead them to good feeding areas, sometimes up to 3km from the nest. Shelduck typically breed first at two years old. The call is a loud honk.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Common Shelduck live in?
- Coasts, saline pools and estuaries; in Asia, inland salt lakes and increasingly freshwater
- Where is the Common Shelduck found?
- Widespread in the Palearctic; winters in temperate to subtropical regions
- How big is the Common Shelduck?
- 55–65cm
- What is the wingspan of the Common Shelduck?
- 100–120cm