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      male ring ouzels are particularly distinctive with their black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band.

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  • Shelduck

Shelduck

Shelduck (adult)
Shelduck (adult)
Shelduck (female)
Shelduck (female)
Shelduck (juvenile)
Shelduck (juvenile)
  • Scientific name: Tadorna tadorna
  • Bird family: Ducks, geese and swans
  • UK conservation status: Amber
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Shelduck call audio

Your browser does not support this audio feature.

Marco Dragonetti, xeno-canto

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 is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
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 illustration
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff Green Orange White
Leg colour: Pink
Beak: Red Long Duck-like Chunky
Natural habitats: Farmland Grassland Marine and intertidal Wetland

Shelduck (juvenile)

Juvenile shelduck
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff Green Orange White
Leg colour: Pink
Beak: Red Long Duck-like Chunky
Natural habitats: Farmland Grassland Marine and intertidal Wetland

Similar birds:

Male shoveler
Shoveler

Where and when to see them

Shelducks are found mainly in coastal areas, though they can also be found around inland waters such as reservoirs and gravel workings.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Shelduck distribution map

Shelducks can be seen at any time of year, but the population swells to more than 81,000 birds during winter.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

RSPB reserves

  • RSPB Tay Reedbeds
  • RSPB Ribble Discovery Centre
  • RSPB Snettisham
  • RSPB Crook of Baldoon
  • RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh
  • RSPB Conwy

Video

A shelduck chases off a rival

A shelduck chases off a rival

Play video
Shelduck video screenshot

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