Definitions for: Sheldrake


[n] Old World gooselike duck slightly larger than a mallard with variegated mostly black-and-white plumage and a red bill
[n] large crested fish-eating diving duck having a slender hooked bill with serrated edges



Webster (1913) Definition: Shel"drake`, n. [Sheld + drake.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) 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.

Note: 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.

Note: 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.

2. Any one of the American mergansers.

Note: The name is also loosely applied to other ducks, as the
canvasback, and the shoveler.

Synonyms: fish duck, merganser, sawbill

See Also: American merganser, duck, genus Mergus, genus Tadorna, goosander, hooded merganser, hooded sheldrake, Lophodytes cucullatus, Mergus, Mergus albellus, Mergus merganser, Mergus merganser americanus, Mergus serrator, red-breasted merganser, sea duck, shelduck, smew, Tadorna

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