Tadorna tadorna (Linné 1758), Common Shelduck (Anatidae)

Compiled by: Christof Herrmann, Henrik Skov & Wlodzimierz Meissner

1. Description of the Habitat/Autecology of the species

The main breeding habitat is sheltered, shallow coasts, especially fjords and lagoons. It prefers small islands for breeding, and only use sandy or shingle beaches irregularly. Parallel to the general expansion of the size of the Baltic breeding population more birds are now breeding in inland wetland habitats (Hagemeijer & Blair, 1997).  

2. Distribution, past and present

The common shelduck breeds throughout the Baltic Sea, with most found in the southern parts. The main breeding concentrations are found in the southeastern lagoons and fjords in Germany and Denmark.

3. Importance (Sub-regional, Baltic-wide, Global)

The common shelduck displays a northwesterly distribution in Europe, and the bulk of the European breeding population is found in Scandinavia, Germany and around the North Sea (Hagemeijer & Blair, 1997). No recent estimates of the total Baltic breeding population are available.

4. Status of threat/decline

Since the mid 1980’es declines in the breeding population have been recorded in Swedish, German and Polish coastal areas, but not in Denmark (Grell, 1998; Hälterlein et al., 2000; BirdLife International, 2004; Kajzer & Lawicki, 2005).

5. Threat/decline factors

Tourism, habitat destruction, predation from minks, foxes and gulls are factors behind the current trend in Polish waters (Kajzer & Lawicki, 2005).

6. Options for improvements

Habitat management and predator control in coastal areas of Germany and Poland.

7. References

BirdLife International 2004. Birds in Europe. Population estimates, trends and conservation status. BirdLife Conservation series 12, Cambridge, UK. 374 pp.

Grell, M.B. (1998). Fuglenes Danmark. GAD, København.

Hagemeijer, E.J.M. & Blair, M.J. 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. – T & AD Poycer, London.

Hälterlein, B., Südbeck, P., Knief, W. & Köppen, U. 2000. Brutbestandentwicklung der Küstenvögel an Nord- und Ostsee unter besondere Berücksichtigung der 1990er Jahre. Vogelwelt 121: 241-267.

Kajzer, Z., Lawicki, L. 2005. Nesting of the Shelduck Tadorna tadorna in Western Pomerania in 2004. Notatki Ornitologiczne 46: 221-229. (in Polish with English summary)