Anseriformes / Anatidae / Tadorna
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadorna · 翘鼻麻鸭
Introduction
A waterfowl species of the genus Tadorna, widespread and common in the Euro-Siberian region of the Palearctic. It mainly breeds in temperate regions and winters in subtropical areas, including the Maghreb. The species is monotypic with no recognized subspecies.
Description
Resembles a small short-necked goose. Features a reddish-pink bill, pink feet, white body with chestnut patches, black belly, and dark green head and neck. Wing coverts are white, primary remiges black, and secondaries green (visible in flight) and chestnut. Underwings are almost entirely white. Females are smaller with white facial markings; males have a bright red bill with a prominent forehead knob during breeding. Ducklings are white with a black cap, hindneck, and wing/back patches. Juveniles are greyish above and mostly white below, retaining the adult wing pattern.
Identification
Key marks include the striking contrast of white body, black belly, and dark green head. In flight, shows white underwings, black primaries, and green/chestnut secondaries. Males display a red bill knob in breeding season. Vocalization is a loud honk.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds in temperate Eurosiberia. Most populations migrate to subtropical areas in winter, though westernmost European populations are largely resident, moving to moulting grounds like the Wadden Sea. Common around the coastlines of Great Britain and Ireland. Rare visitor to North America (U.S. and Canada) and recorded in the Caribbean (mostly Barbados) and Colombia.
Behavior & Ecology
Associated with lakes, rivers, salt marshes, estuaries, and tidal mudflats. Nests in rabbit burrows, tree holes, or haystacks. Forms large moulting flocks, up to 100,000 individuals. Pairs leave partially grown young in crèches supervised by one or two adults. Young dive to avoid predators while adults act as decoys.
Conservation
This species is covered by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Tadorna
Distribution
breeds western Europe to east-central Asia; winters to northern Africa through southern Asia
Vocalizations
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
