Common Shelduck

A large, boldly patterned duck with a goose-like stance.

A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.

I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Habitat first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: All year; additional autumn and winter visitors
Where to start: Estuary paths and hides overlooking tidal flats; do not flush roosting flocks.
What to do when you arrive: On estuary shallows, look for large black, white and chestnut ducks and confirm the red bill with binoculars. Do not walk towards them; concealed nests may be nearby.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

How to identify it

Adults have a dark green-black head, white body, chestnut breast band and red bill; breeding males have a bill knob. Juveniles are paler-headed with duller bills and an incomplete band.

Habitat

Estuaries, intertidal mud and sand, and coastal shallows.

Behaviour

Feeds on mudflat invertebrates and often nests in burrows or cavities.

When to look

All year; additional autumn and winter visitors

Where to look

Estuary paths and hides overlooking tidal flats; do not flush roosting flocks.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

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