David Pattyn / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) male trying to grab a female to mate with her. The Netherlands. April.

David Pattyn / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) portrait. The Netherlands. April.

Roger Powell / Pair of Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) escorting their chicks. Cresswell Ponds Nature Reserve, Druridge Bay, Northumberland, England, UK, June.

Nick Upton / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) female walking on a frozen pond, Gloucestershire, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) drake walking on a frozen pond, Gloucestershire, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) pair with their brood of young ducklings resting on the margins of lake, Gloucestershire, UK, June.

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) two walking on grass in Inner Mongolia, China

David Tipling / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) escorts a straggling chick across the scrape, Cley Norfolk, England, UK.

David Tipling / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) juvenile Cley Norfolk, England, UK. August.

Matthew Maran / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) flying close to the River Otter, Devon, England, UK, June.

Philippe Clement / Pair of Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) feeding in wetland, Belgium, April.

Bernard Castelein / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) in flight, Antwerpen, Belgium, March.

Loic Poidevin / Two Common shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) in flight, Marais Breton, Vendée, France, January.

Loic Poidevin / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) group, Marais Breton, Vendée, France, January.

Dave Bevan / Family of Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) feeding in shallow water, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, May.

Dave Bevan / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) drakes displaying, Gloucestershire, England, UK. April.

Dave Bevan / Juvenile Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) feeding at waters edge, Norfolk, England, UK. August.

Dave Bevan / Pair of Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) feeding with chicks in shallow water, Gloucestershire, England, UK, June.

Dave Bevan / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) feeding in shallow water, Gloucestershire, England, UK. May.

Brian Bevan / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) preening, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Bewick's swan (Cygnus bewickii) dabbling in a lake near two Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) and some diving Tufted ducks (Aythya fuligula), Gloucestershire, England, UK, December.

Roger Powell / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) male in flight. Cresswell, Druridge Bay, Northumberland, March, UK.

Roger Powell / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) male in flight. Cresswell, Druridge Bay, Northumberland, March, UK.

Nick Upton / Pair of Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) swimming on a shallow lake, watched and followed by two other drakes, Gloucestershire, England, UK, March.

Nick Upton / Pair of Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) courting, with another pair dabbling nearby and another running past, Gloucestershire, England, UK, March.

Nick Upton / Female Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) dabbling in a shallow lake, swimming past a pair of Common teal (Anas crecca), Gloucestershire, England, UK, March.

Nick Upton / Female Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) preening and drinking in a shallow lake, Gloucestershire, England, UK, March.

Nick Upton / Shelduck drake (Tadorna tadorna) preening in a marshland pool, with a foraging Coot (Fulica atra) and a female Shelduck swimming past, Gloucestershire, England, UK, March.

Nick Upton / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) dabbling in a shallow lake, Gloucestershire, England, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Three Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) feeding on the margins of a lake, with three Black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa) probing nearby, Gloucestershire, England, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Pair of Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) mating on a small island, with a resting Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) in the background, Gloucestershire, England, UK, March.

Nick Upton / Three Black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa) preening and probing for invertebrates in a shallow lake, with a Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) swimming past, Gloucestershire, England, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) preening while swimming on a lake, Gloucestershire, England, UK, January.

Nick Upton / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) emerging from a lake and walking past a group of Pochard (Aytha ferina) resting on the shore, slow motion clip, Gloucestershire, England, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Pair of Greylag geese (Anser anser) walking and vocalising, with Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) and a swimming Mute swan (Cygus olor) nearby, Gloucestershire, England, UK, January.

Nick Upton / A group of Greylag geese (Anser anser) walking past a mixed flock of swimming Wigeon (Anas penelope), resting Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) and BewickÕs swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii), Gloucestershi...

Nick Upton / A group of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) swimming on flooded pasture past Pochard (Aythya ferina), resting Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), Shoveler (Anas clypeata) and Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus), Glo...

Nick Upton / Canada geese (Branta canadensis) preening on flooded pasture, with Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) landing in the background to join Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), Mute swans (Cygnus olor), Wigeon (A...

Loic Poidevin / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) profile, Breton Marsh, France, July

Bernard Castelein / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) in flight, Texel, The Netherlands May

Pal Hermansen / Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) feeding, Norway, December.

Andy Trowbridge / Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) stretching wings. Possibly escaped from captivity. Southern Norway. June

Nick Upton / Group of six Shelduck drakes (Tadorna tadorna) and one duck standing on the grassy margin of a marsh in spring, Gloucestershire, UK, April.

David Pattyn / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) portrait. The Netherlands, April

Roger Powell / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) pair displaying. Texel Island, The Netherlands.

Nick Upton / Shelduck pair (Tadorna tadorna) swimming with their brood of dabbling ducklings on a lake, Gloucestershire, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Female Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) in flight over flooded pastureland, Gloucestershire, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Three Shelduck ducklings (Tadorna tadorna) preening on the shore of a lake, Gloucestershire, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Three Shelduck ducklings (Tadorna tadorna) dabbling on a lake, Gloucestershire, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Shelduck ducklings (Tadorna tadorna) dabbling on a lake, Gloucestershire, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Shelduck drake (Tadorna tadorna) drinking at a lake margin, Gloucestershire, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Two Shelduck ducklings (Tadorna tadorna) approaching the shore of a lake to drink as their mother watches, and their siblings rest in a huddle, Gloucestershire, UK, May.

Ernie Janes / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) female with ducklings, Cley, Norfolk, East Anglia, England, UK, July.

David Tipling / Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) mating, Cley Marshes Reserve, Norfolk, England, UK, March.

David Tipling / Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) landing, Cley Marshes Reserve, Norfolk, England, UK, March.

David Tipling / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) male in flight, Cley, Norfolk, February.

Dong Lei / Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) drinking, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, China, Asia

Guy Edwardes / 2020VISION / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), Catcott Lows, Somerset Levels, Somerset, England, UK, May.

Guy Edwardes / 2020VISION / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), Catcott Lows, Somerset Levels, Somerset, England, UK, May.

Mike Read / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) female with young Blashford Lakes, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Reserve, Ringwood, Hampshire, England, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus), Jackdaws (Corvus monedula) and Golden plover (Pluvialis apricarius) flying over flooded pastureland with mix of Greylag geese (Anser anser), Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), W...

Ernie Janes / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) pair feeding, Norfolk, UK, April

David Kjaer / Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah) on water, native to Northern Australia and the East Indies. Captive, UK.

Robin Chittenden / Four Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) in flight, Norfolk, England, UK. June.

Robin Chittenden / Two Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) drakes chasing each other on water during territorial dispute, Norfolk, England, UK. June.

Bernard Castelein / Two Common shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) in flight, male chasing another male over pond, Kruibeekse Polder, Belgium. April.

Loic Poidevin / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) with duckling on water, Marais de Vendee, France. May.

Etienne Littlefair / Radjah shellducks (Tadorna radjah) pair foraging in shallow water, Pine Creek, Northern Territory, Australia.

Robin Chittenden / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) landing on water, Cley, Norfolk, UK. March.

David Tipling / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) pair escort creche of chicks across scrape, Cley Norfolk Wildlife Trust Reserve, North Norfolk, UK.

Espen Bergersen / Five Common shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) in flight, Andoya, Norway. April.

Ashley Cooper / A mixed group of waterfowl including; Shelduck (Tadorna), Pintail (Anas acuta), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Greylag goose (Anser anser) and Whopper swan (Cygnus cygnus) feeding on grain, Martin Mere...

Ashley Cooper / A mixed group of waterfowl including; Shelduck (Tadorna), Pintail (Anas acuta) and Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) feeding and squabbling over grain, Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Lancashire, UK.

Nick Upton / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), drake flying to roost at dusk, Gloucestershire, UK. November.

Roger Powell / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) juvenile, walking across tidal mud, River Coquet estuary, Northumberland, UK. September.

Roger Powell / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) with brood of recently fledged ducklings foraging amongst seaweed, Amble, Northumberland, England, UK. June.

Oscar Dewhurst / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) landing on water. Gloucestershire, England, UK. March

Oscar Dewhurst / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) landing on water. Gloucestershire, England, UK. March

Loic Poidevin / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) in flight, Vendee, France, December

Roger Powell / Pair of Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) feeding on algae left on tidal mud. Budle Bay, Holy Island / Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England, UK. November

Chris Shields / Illustration of Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Fabrice Cahez / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) with algae, France, October.

Fabrice Cahez / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)preening feathers on water, France, February.

Nick Upton / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) drake swimming on a marshland pool, Gloucestershire, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) drake in flight against a blue sky, Gloucestershire, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) drake standing in the margins of a shallow lake at dusk, Gloucestershire, UK, December.

Nick Upton / Common shelduck pair (Tadorna tadorna) standing and drinking in the margins of a shallow lake, Gloucestershire, UK, November.

David Tipling / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) male in flight, Titchwell, Norfolk, England, UK, March.

David Tipling / Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) male in flight, Titchwell, Norfolk, England, U, March.