Found 1 items, similar to burrow duck.
English → English (gcide)
Definition: burrow duck
Sheldrake
\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. (
Tadorna cornuta syn.
Tadorna tadorna), which somewhat resembles a goose in
form and habit, but breeds in burrows.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
2. Any one of the American mergansers.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The name is also loosely applied to other ducks, as the
canvasback, and the shoveler.
[1913 Webster]