Scientific name:

Tadorna tadorna

About:

The shelduck is one of our largest ducks, as big as some geese. They are mainly coastal, feeding on small invertebrates in the mud on estuaries and sandy beaches. They have spread inland as gravel pits have been dug, as their sandy shores and gravel banks.

How to identify:

<p>A big white duck with a dark green head, bright red bill, orangey-brown band around the breast and black patches on the back and wings.</p>

Where:

Common around the coasts, and small numbers also nest inland on gravel pits.

Fantastic facts:

The shelduck nests underground, in an old rabbit burrow!