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Common Shelduck - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 21:25, 15 September 2015 by Deliatodd-18346 (talk | contribs) (Picture of juvenile. R)
Photo by redwing
Tadorna tadorna

Identification

  • White body
  • Chestnut breast band
  • Green neck and head (looks black)
  • Black scapulars, flight feathers and stripe from breast band to vent
  • Reddish-yellow undertail coverts
  • White tail with black tip
  • Red bill with fleshy knob (larger in spring Male)

Distribution

Palearctic region; winters to Near East, India and Myanmar.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[1].

Photo by ody
Axios Delta, Greece December 2008

Habitat

Estuaries, lakes, rivers and salt marshes.

Behaviour

Breeding

They nest in burrows, holes, caves and cliffs. The nest is lined with down for the 8-12 white eggs. Both sexes incubate and care for the young.

Diet

The diet includes invertebrates.

Vocalistion

Juvenile
Photo by Leo Tukker
Inlaag Keihoogte, Wissenkerke, Netherlands, September 2015

<flashmp3>Tadorna tadorna (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728
  3. BWPI
  4. Wikipedia
  5. bio.edu.ee

Recommended Citation

External Links


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