sunbeem - Irene
Male Common Shelduck – Tadorna tadorna
The Common Shelduck is a big lovely looking bird having a white body with dark green head and an orange brown band around the breast and black patches on the back and wings. These birds use their sharp beaks to arrange the twigs and fibres together when building their nest and they use spiders webs or mud to strengthen the nest and bring it all together, the nest is made in old rabbit burrows or low holes in trees and in haystacks. The female lays between 7 to 14 eggs and they hatch around 26 to 30 days after. The chicks must learn quickly to feed themselves because soon after hatching the mother takes them to the water to make them skilled at swimming and looking for food. These ducks eat plant material, seeds, small fish, snails, crabs and larvae and pupae which are found under rocks. When in the malting phase these birds loose the tail and wing feathers which prevents the Common Shelduck from taking flight until they are replacement by the new feathers.
Male Common Shelduck – Tadorna tadorna
The Common Shelduck is a big lovely looking bird having a white body with dark green head and an orange brown band around the breast and black patches on the back and wings. These birds use their sharp beaks to arrange the twigs and fibres together when building their nest and they use spiders webs or mud to strengthen the nest and bring it all together, the nest is made in old rabbit burrows or low holes in trees and in haystacks. The female lays between 7 to 14 eggs and they hatch around 26 to 30 days after. The chicks must learn quickly to feed themselves because soon after hatching the mother takes them to the water to make them skilled at swimming and looking for food. These ducks eat plant material, seeds, small fish, snails, crabs and larvae and pupae which are found under rocks. When in the malting phase these birds loose the tail and wing feathers which prevents the Common Shelduck from taking flight until they are replacement by the new feathers.