Shetland duck

The Shetland duck is a breed of domestic duck originating in the Shetland Islands of Scotland.^[5] It is critically endangered.^[6]

Shetland

Conservation status	FAO (2007): critical[1]: 124  DAD-IS (2020): unknown[2]
Country of origin	Scotland
Distribution	Scotland
Use	eggs
Traits
Weight	Male: 2 kg Female: 1.8 kg
Egg colour	white
Classification
EE	no[3]
PCGB	no[4]
Duck

History

The Shetland duck is thought to have evolved from the Pomeranian or Swedish Blue, due to its similar appearance. It is thought that the Vikings brought the Shetland to the British Isles^[5][7]

Characteristics

The Shetland is a small, hardy breed; it is active and forages well.^[8] It is essentially a smaller version of the Swedish Blue, but with black plumage where the Swedish has blue;^{[9]: 457 [10]: 489} the black has glossy green and blue lights in it.^[8] The birds usually have a white bib, and may have some white on the head; they may become paler as they age, in some cases turning almost entirely white.^[8] The bill and legs are black in the duck: in the drake, the legs may carry some orange, and the bill may be tinged with yellow.^[8]

Use

The Shetland is a good layer; the eggs are of a good size and range in colour from white to grey.^[8]

See also

• List of duck breeds
• Shetland animal breeds