SHELDUCK - TADORNA TADORNA

SHELDUCK. Its name in the Irish Language is ‘Seil-lacha'. The Latin name is ‘TADORNA TADORNA’.  It is an AMBER LISTED bird in Ireland. DUCK is the common name for many species of waterfoul in the family of Anatidae. The word 'Duck' comes from the old english word 'Dūce - Diver'. The female is a 'Duck' the male is a 'Drake'. The shell part has nothing to do with Shells. 'Sheld' is the old english word for mixed in colour or pied. 

There are several types of Shelduck. The one Garrett is imagining here is a 'Common' Shelduck. Ducks were important solar symbols in Celtic culture. Shelducks usually nest in holes like rabbit holes. Shelducks are not diving birds. Possibly when young but generally not as adults. More on this and subjects like the Irish Wildlife Act, Birdwatch Ireland, the importance of 'Bird Listening' - identifying birds by sound and how he learned to do this as a child, etc.

Garrett continues to imagine to observe the birds of the Rogerstown Estuary at THE HIDE SCULPTURE. You can recap by listening to his other HIDE FM podcasts to date.

HIDE FM is a Per Cent for Art commission by Fingal County Council.

Please FOLLOW / SUBSCRIBE!

What is HIDE FM?

HIDE FM - Podcast is a work of art by artist Garrett Phelan. It takes the form of 28 imagined and performed monologues on 28 birds that are visitors to the Rogerstown Estuary, Lusk, North County Dublin, Ireland. They were performed by Garrett from October 2023 - January 2024 in Millbrook Studios, Rathfarnham, Dublin. They were originally transmitted via an independent radio station HIDE FM during Spring 2025. The podcast is a sensitive exploration of the Fragility of our ecosystem. Garrett explores the status, sound, diet, breeding patterns, movement and folklore of each bird type, with ‘sonic interruptions’ interspersed into the podcasts. They were performed and created to depict viewing birds during the seasons of Autumn/Winter/Early Spring at the location of THE HIDE SCULPTURE, Lusk, Co.Dublin. 12 of the 28 birds he features are on the endangered RED list. 10 of the birds are on the endangered AMBER list and 6 are on the GREEN LIST. The HIDE FM - Podcast IS NOT REAL. It is an ‘IMAGINED, PERFECT’ landscape. Each week we will release a podcast that will focus on one particular bird from the area.

For more information on what we do follow us @thehideproject on Instagram or go to www.thehideproject.com

HIDE FM is a Per Cent for Art Commission by Fingal County Council.

Send all of your questions to [e-mail]