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Difference between revisions of "Northern Shoveler" - BirdForum Opus

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;''Anas clypeata''
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[[Image:Northern_Shoveler.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male (left) and female<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Steve+G|Steve G}}<br />The Flood, [[Vane Farm]], Loch Leven, [[Scotland]], [[UK]], 03 April 2005]]
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[[Image:Northern_Shoveler.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Steve G<br/>Location:  The Flood, Vane Farm, Loch Leven, Scotland]]
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;[[:Category:Spatula|Spatula]] clypeata
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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Medium sized dabbling duck with huge bill. The male has a bottle green, chestnut flanks, white breast. Female is similar to Mallard, the bill being the major distinguishing feature.
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[[Image:northern_shoveler_eclipse.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Male moulting<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />[[Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park|Keoladeo National Park]], [[India]], 17 December 2015]]
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Length 43–56 cm (17-22 in), wingspan 70–85 cm, weight 400–1100 g<br />
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'''Male'''
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*Bottle green head
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*Chestnut flanks
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*White breast
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*Very large black spatula shaped bill
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*In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border
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*Eclipse plumage (July to October) very similar to female (including in bill colour), but flanks more orangey and blue forewing retained
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*Post-eclipse (September to December) often develops a weak whitish forehead crescent resembling [[Australian Shoveler]] or even [[Blue-winged Teal]] in moult<br />
  
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This species is unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. The breeding male has a green head, white breast and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border.
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'''Female'''
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*Light brown
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*Grey forewing
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*Very large grey and orange spatula shaped bill
  
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The females are light brown, with plumage much like a female Mallard, but their long broad bill easily identifies them. The female's forewing is grey.
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====Similar Species====
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[[Image:Shoveler 177K3996.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Flock in flight <br />Photo &copy; by {{user|targetman|targetman}}<br />[[Lincolnshire]] 02 March 2009]]
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Females, and males moulting out of eclipse, are very similar to females and full-plumage males respectively of [[Australian Shoveler]]; the two species do not normally overlap in distribution, but vagrant Northern are known in the range of Australian, and need great care in identification. The plumage of the female is also similar to that of a female [[Mallard]], the bill being the major distinguishing feature.
  
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In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake looks more like the female.
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==Distribution==
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Breeds across northern areas of [[Europe]], [[Asia]] and most of [[North America]] between roughly 40° to 65°N latitude. It is largely migratory, wintering across more southern regions of these continents, and also in [[South America]] and [[Africa]] south to around 5° to 10°N latitude; small numbers winter as far north as [[Scotland]] and [[British Columbia]] where mild oceanic winters allow some overlap with the breeding range.
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It is a vagrant south to central [[South America]], [[Australia]], and [[South Africa]], and north to [[Svalbard]]; it has also been recorded on the [[Azores]], [[Madeira]], the [[Canary Islands]], and several Pacific Ocean islands.
  
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The Northern Shoveler is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
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==Taxonomy==
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This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
  
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==Distribution==
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The Northern Shoveler has recently been transferred, along with several other related, mostly large-billed ducks, to the genus ''[[:Category:Spatula|Spatula]]''. These were all formerly placed in the genus ''[[:Category:Anas|Anas]]''.
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The Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America. It was formerly known as Northern Shoveller.
 
  
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This dabbling duck is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range. It is not as gregarious as some dabbling ducks outside the breeding season and tends to form only small flocks.
 
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In the British Isles, they are best known as a winter visitor, although they breed in southern and eastern England, especially around the Ouse Washes, the Humber and the North Kent Marshes, and in much smaller numbers in Scotland and western parts of England. In winter, breeding birds move south, and are replaced by an influx of continental birds from further north. The UK is home to more than 20% of the North Western European population
 
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==Taxonomy==
 
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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It is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation,
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Marshlands and overgrown ponds. Rarely on the sea. Breeds in shallow, lowland, freshwater wetlands.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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It feeds by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging its bill from side to side and using the bill to strain food from the water. This bird also eats mollusks and insects in the nesting season. The nest is a shallow depression on the ground, lined with plant material and down, usually close to water.
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It is not as gregarious as some other dabbling ducks in the breeding season, usually only forming small parties, but huge flocks can occur in winter on suitable subtropical and tropical wetlands (e.g. 110,000 in the Marismas Nacionales in [[Nayarit]], western [[Mexico]]<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup>).
  
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This is a fairly quiet species. The male has a clunking call, whereas the female has a mallard-like quack.
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Complex courtship display, when groups of males will head-bob to females, and perform frequent noisy aerial chases after females.
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====Diet====
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Dabbling duck, uses bill to filter food. Will eat tiny crustaceans, insects as well as seed and plant matter.
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====Breeding====
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The nest is a shallow depression on the ground, lined with plant material and down, usually close to water.
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====Vocalisation====
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Fairly quiet except during courtship. Females a mallard-like ''quack''. Males have an odd-sounding "shukk, shukk, shukk, shukk" when displaying and in aerial chases.
  
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Females make quacking noises. Males a deep ''took took''
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{{ Audio|Anas clypeata (song).mp3 }}
  
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug18}}#{{Ref-HBWVol1}}#Carboneras, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52896 on 22 May 2019).
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#{{Ref-Collins5th93}}#Dubowy, P. J. (1996). Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.217
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{{ref}}
  
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==External Links==
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{{GSearch|"Spatula clypeata" {{!}} "Anas clypeata" {{!}} "Northern Shoveler"}}
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<br />
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{{VSearch|"Spatula clypeata" {{!}} "Anas clypeata" {{!}} "Northern Shoveler"}}
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{{GS-checked}}1
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<br />
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<br />
  
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==Bird Song==
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Spatula]][[Category:Bird Songs]] [[Category:Videos]]
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<flashmp3>Anas clypeata (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />
 
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''[[Media:Anas clypeata (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
 
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==External Links==
 
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{{GSearch|Anas+clypeata}}
 
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*[http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&Bird_ID=184&Bird_Image_ID=14144&Bird_Family_ID=65 View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages]
 
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[[Category:Birds]]
 

Latest revision as of 23:12, 10 February 2023

Male (left) and female
Photo © by Steve G
The Flood, Vane Farm, Loch Leven, Scotland, UK, 03 April 2005
Spatula clypeata

Identification

Male moulting
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, India, 17 December 2015

Length 43–56 cm (17-22 in), wingspan 70–85 cm, weight 400–1100 g
Male

  • Bottle green head
  • Chestnut flanks
  • White breast
  • Very large black spatula shaped bill
  • In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border
  • Eclipse plumage (July to October) very similar to female (including in bill colour), but flanks more orangey and blue forewing retained
  • Post-eclipse (September to December) often develops a weak whitish forehead crescent resembling Australian Shoveler or even Blue-winged Teal in moult

Female

  • Light brown
  • Grey forewing
  • Very large grey and orange spatula shaped bill

Similar Species

Flock in flight
Photo © by targetman
Lincolnshire 02 March 2009

Females, and males moulting out of eclipse, are very similar to females and full-plumage males respectively of Australian Shoveler; the two species do not normally overlap in distribution, but vagrant Northern are known in the range of Australian, and need great care in identification. The plumage of the female is also similar to that of a female Mallard, the bill being the major distinguishing feature.

Distribution

Breeds across northern areas of Europe, Asia and most of North America between roughly 40° to 65°N latitude. It is largely migratory, wintering across more southern regions of these continents, and also in South America and Africa south to around 5° to 10°N latitude; small numbers winter as far north as Scotland and British Columbia where mild oceanic winters allow some overlap with the breeding range.

It is a vagrant south to central South America, Australia, and South Africa, and north to Svalbard; it has also been recorded on the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and several Pacific Ocean islands.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[1].

The Northern Shoveler has recently been transferred, along with several other related, mostly large-billed ducks, to the genus Spatula. These were all formerly placed in the genus Anas.

Habitat

Marshlands and overgrown ponds. Rarely on the sea. Breeds in shallow, lowland, freshwater wetlands.

Behaviour

It is not as gregarious as some other dabbling ducks in the breeding season, usually only forming small parties, but huge flocks can occur in winter on suitable subtropical and tropical wetlands (e.g. 110,000 in the Marismas Nacionales in Nayarit, western Mexico[2]).

Complex courtship display, when groups of males will head-bob to females, and perform frequent noisy aerial chases after females.

Diet

Dabbling duck, uses bill to filter food. Will eat tiny crustaceans, insects as well as seed and plant matter.

Breeding

The nest is a shallow depression on the ground, lined with plant material and down, usually close to water.

Vocalisation

Fairly quiet except during courtship. Females a mallard-like quack. Males have an odd-sounding "shukk, shukk, shukk, shukk" when displaying and in aerial chases.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334108
  3. Carboneras, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52896 on 22 May 2019).
  4. Peterson, RT, G Mountfort and PAD Hollom. 1993. Collins Field Guide – Birds of Britain and Europe, 5th Revised edition. London: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0002199001
  5. Dubowy, P. J. (1996). Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.217

Recommended Citation

External Links


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