- Anas clypeata
Identification
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.
Female
- Light brown, with plumage much like female Mallard
- Gray forewing
- Very large grey and orange spatula shaped bill
Distribution
Northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America. It is a rare vagrant to Australia.
Taxonomy
The Northern Shoveler is usually placed in the genus Anas, but can be placed in the separate genus Spatula, along with the other species of shoveler and related species Cinnamon Teal and Blue-winged Teal.
There are no recognised subspecies of Northern Shoveler.
Habitat
It is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation.
Behaviour
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 molluscs 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.
It is a migratory species, wintering further south than its breeding range. It is not as gregarious as most other dabbling ducks, and only forms small parties.
Voice
Fairly quiet
Male
deep took took
Female
mallard-like quack
<flashmp3>Anas clypeata (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
