Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

A striking waterfowl with bold black, white, chestnut plumage and bright red bills, found on coastal wetlands across Europe and Asia.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Common Shelduck is a striking large duck with distinctive black and white plumage. It has a dark green head, a broad chestnut band across the chest, and a red bill with a prominent knob at the base in males.

Females are similar but slightly smaller and lack the bill knob, and they also show some white facial markings around the base of the bill in contrast to the solid glossy black-green of the male.

Juveniles have a duller plumage with a brown back and lack the chestnut band. In flight, both sexes display conspicuous white wing coverts and black flight feathers.

Size

Length

58cm to 67cm

Wingspan

110cm to 130cm

Weight

800g to 1.4kg

Colours

Male Female

Primary Colour

White Black Brown

Secondary Colour

Green Red

Beak Colour

Red

Leg Colour

Pink

Primary Colour (Female)

White Black Brown

Secondary Colour (Female)

Green

Beak Colour (Female)

Red

Leg Colour (Female)

Pink

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Common Shelduck can be found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Common Shelduck can be found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Common Shelduck is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Common Shelducks inhabit coastal areas, estuaries, and inland lakes across Europe and Asia. They prefer shallow waters with muddy bottoms and adjacent short grassland or bare ground for foraging and nesting.

In the UK, they are widespread along the coast, with large concentrations in estuaries. During winter, many European birds migrate to the Mediterranean and North Africa, while some populations in milder areas remain resident year-round.

For almost guaranteed UK sightings, head to north-west England in winter, where around 10,000 shelducks can be seen gathering on the muddy estuaries of the Dee and Mersey rivers.

Elevation Range

Sea level to 1,000 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Subarctic

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Common Shelduck. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons