Key information
This is a big, colourful duck, bigger than a mallard but smaller than a goose. Both sexes have a dark green head and neck, a chestnut belly stripe and a red bill.
What they eat:
Invertebrates, small shellfish and aquatic snails.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 58-65 cm
- Wingspan:
- 1.1-1.33 m
- Weight:
- 0.85-1.4 kg
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 15,000 pairs
- UK wintering:
- 61,000 birds
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Shelduck (adult)
Shelduck (juvenile)
