Tadorna tadorna

Moulting flocks of common shelducks can be very large (100,000 on the Wadden Sea), since most pairs leave their partially grown young in a crèche with just one or two adults. This species is mainly associated with lakes and rivers in open country, breeding in rabbit burrows, tree holes, haystacks or similar. In winter it is common on suitable estuaries and tidal mudflats as well. The young will dive under water to avoid predators and the adults will fly away from them to act as a decoy.