Mallard vs Common Shelduck
Anas platyrhynchos compared with Tadorna tadorna
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mallard | Common Shelduck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas platyrhynchos | Tadorna tadorna |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 58.0 cm (22.8 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 62.8 cm (24.7 in) |
| Weight | 1100.0 g (38.80 oz) | 1035.5 g (36.53 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … | Eats seeds, leaves, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet broadly omnivorous and varies … |
| Clutch Size | 4-18 | 3-18 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
Common Shelduck
Coastal estuaries, mudflats, saltmarshes, sand dunes, and inland saline lakes from northwest Europe east across Eurasia to China. Winters mainly on tidal estuaries and coastal wetlands. Nests in burrows.
Song & Call Comparison
Mallard
Female gives the classic 'quack-quack-quack', descending in pitch. Male utters soft nasal 'raeb-raeb'. Both give a high 'gag-gag-gag' when alarmed or taking flight.
Common Shelduck
Male gives a whistled 'wheee'; female gives a cackling series of rapid nasal 'ak-ak-ak' notes. One of the most sexually dimorphic calls of any shelduck species.
Geographic Range & Migration
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Common Shelduck
Breeds in Siberian tundra; winters in eastern and southern Africa, and in South and Southeast Asia. Trans-hemispheric migrant.
Conservation Status
Mallard
Common Shelduck
How to Tell Them Apart
Mallard
Breeding males have an iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and grey body. Females are mottled brown. Both sexes show a blue speculum bordered by white.
Broad, flat bill — yellow-green in males, orange-brown in females
Common Shelduck
White body with dark green head, broad chestnut breastband, and black scapular stripes. Red bill with basal knob in males. Green speculum and black wingtips. Underparts white with black belly …
About These Birds
Mallard
The mallard is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds and the most abundant and widespread dabbling duck in the world. Males perform elaborate courtship displays including head-bobbing and whistle-grunt calls. Mallards are highly adaptable, thriving in both wilderness and urban environments.
Common Shelduck
A large distinctive shelduck with a white body, dark green head, broad chestnut breast band, and a bright red bill with a knob in males. Common along European and Asian coasts and estuaries. Nests in rabbit burrows or hollow trees. Large moult migrations concentrate in Germany's Wadden Sea.