Shelduck

• The common shelduck is at risk of hybridization with any members of the genus Tadorna, as well as with geese, swans, and domestic ducks when in mixed flocks.
• The common shelduck can live up to 24 years in captivity, which significantly exceeds its natural lifespan in the wild.
• After the breeding season, adult common shelducks molt and migrate to large water bodies, forming flocks of up to 100,000 individuals temporarily unable to fly.
• The minimum enclosure size for a pair of common shelducks cannot be less than 100 square meters. This is necessary to ensure normal growth, reproduction, and the survival of the young.
• Providing common shelduck ducklings access to short-grass pasture from an early age ensures their rapid growth and maximum survival rate.
• Common shelducks easily adapt to life in enclosures, grow well, and regularly produce healthy offspring, which both parents care for.
• Male common shelducks begin breeding at 4–5 years old, while females start at 2 years old. This distinguishes them from many other birds, where males usually reach sexual maturity later.
• The male common shelduck, defending its nest or brood, may attack large predators, mammals, and even humans. This behavior occurs during the breeding season.
• The female common shelduck may incubate up to 32 chicks, including eggs laid by other birds, and she incubates the clutch alone for 29–31 days.