Fukuoka — Common shelducks, a winter migratory bird species listed as vulnerable in Japan, were spotted flying above the Wajiro tidal flats in Fukuoka’s Higashi Ward.
It’s unusual for a duck species, but the male and female common shelduck have the same coloring, with mostly white bodies and red beaks. They both have black heads and necks, with a distinctive black-and-brown striped pattern around their bodies that resembles a neckpiece. Adults measure approximately 24 inches in length. They primarily consume shellfish, shrimp, small fish, and seaweed in their diet.
The birds breed in temperate regions of Eurasia and spend the winter mainly in the northern Kyushu area of southwest Japan. The ducks are known as “Tsukushi-gamo” in Japanese, with the name reportedly originating from the ancient name for the region, Tsukushi no Kuni.
Takuro Hattori, representative of the Fukuoka Wetland Conservation Research Group, an environmental nonprofit organization, says that more than 100 of the ducks have been spotted in December, 2024. He says that people will most likely be able to see them until late February, 2025.
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