Common Shelduck

Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) is a large, boldly patterned duck with a dark green head, red bill, white body and chestnut breast band. The combination of body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provides the most useful field characters. Age, sex and season can alter its appearance, so identification should use several features rather than colour alone. This supports comparison with similar species in the field (Wikipedia, general species account).

It feeds on small invertebrates in tidal mud, saline pools and shallow estuaries and often nests in burrows. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds more likely to gather where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant, visitor or introduced bird (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).