Shel"drake` (?), n. [Sheld + drake.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any one of several
species of large Old World ducks of the genus Tadorna and allied
genera, especially the European and Asiatic species. (T. cornuta, or
tadorna), which somewhat resembles a goose in form and habit, but
breeds in burrows.
It has the head and neck greenish black, the breast, sides, and forward
part of the back brown, the shoulders and middle of belly black, the
speculum green, and the bill and frontal bright red. Called also
shelduck, shellduck, sheldfowl, skeelduck, bergander, burrow duck, and
links goose.
The Australian sheldrake (Tadorna radja) has the head, neck, breast,
flanks, and wing coverts white, the upper part of the back and a band
on the breast deep chestnut, and the back and tail black. The chestnut
sheldrake of Australia (Casarca tadornoides) is varied with black and
chestnut, and has a dark green head and neck. The ruddy sheldrake, or
Braminy duck (C. rutila), and the white-winged sheldrake (C.
leucoptera), are related Asiatic species.