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Northern Shoveler

Anas clypeataOrder: ANSERIFORMESFamily: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Northern Shoveler Male Portrait
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General

Northern Shoveler: Medium-sized dabbling duck with a white breast, white-bordered black back, and rufous-brown underparts and sides. Head and neck are iridescent green, large bill is black and eyes are pale yellow. Wings have large, pale blue shoulder patches, white bars, and green speculum. Legs and feet are orange. Eclipse male is duller and heavily mottled, has reduced green on head and neck, and dark-saddled orange bill. Female resembles small Mallard hen with oversized bill and orange eyes. Juvenile is similar to female but has gray saddle on bill and dark eyes.

Range and Habitat

Northern Shoveler: Breeds from Alaska and northern Manitoba south to California, Nebraska, and Wisconsin; local and uncommon in the Great Lakes area and the northeast. Spends winters from Oregon across the southern half of the U.S. to the Gulf Coast, north to New Jersey, and south to Central America. Preferred habitats include marshes and prairie potholes; sometimes found on salt or brackish marshes.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"who, who, who", "took, took, took"

Interesting Facts

  • The Northern Shoveler was first described in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist.
  • They are often referred to as the "Spoonbill" or "Spoony" because of their unique spatulate shaped bill, which has about 110 fine projections (called lamellae) along the edges, for straining food from water.
  • Socially, they occasionally work together in groups while feeding, rotating like a pin-wheel, stirring up the surface water and skimming it for food particles.
  • A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks.


Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Northern Shoveler
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family
Species Anas clypeata
Length17 - 20 Inches
Wingspan30 Inches

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler: Medium dabbling duck. White breast, white-bordered black back, rufous-brown underparts and sides. Head and neck are iridescent green, large bill is black and eyes are yellow. Wings have large, pale blue shoulder patches, white bars, green speculum. Legs and feet are orange.

● Song: "who, who, who", "took, took, took"

● Foraging & Feeding: Northern Shoveler: Feeds on tiny crustaceans, mollusks, insects, seeds, fish, and aquatic vegetation; forages by dabbling in shallow water.

● Breeding & nesting: Northern Shoveler: Six to nineteen olive buff or green gray eggs are laid in a down-lined cup of grass concealed in vegetation, often far from water. Incubation ranges from 21 to 27 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Northern Shoveler: Mallard has smaller bill, and chestnut-brown breast, and lacks blue shoulder patch. Blue-winged Teal is smaller, has brown body and gray head, and white crescent on face.

Flight Pattern

Strong direct flight with powerful rapid wing beats.
Northern Shoveler Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Northern Shoveler: Breeds from Alaska and northern Manitoba south to California, Nebraska, and Wisconsin; local and uncommon in the Great Lakes area and the northeast. Spends winters from Oregon across the southern half of the U.S. to the Gulf Coast, north to New Jersey, and south to Central America. Preferred habitats include marshes and prairie potholes; sometimes found on salt or brackish marshes.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationCommon to abundant
MigrationMigratory
Weight22.4 Ounces