Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

The Northern Shoveler is a colorful duck with a unique, wide bill that looks like a shovel! They love to swim in ponds and wetlands, where they filter food from the water.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Northern Shoveler is easily recognized by its distinctively large, spoon-shaped bill. Males boast an iridescent green head, a white chest, and chestnut-red sides, while females are a more subtle mottled brown. Both sexes have a bright blue patch on their wings.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusSpatula

Northern Shoveler

Interesting facts

Northern Shovelers sometimes swim in circles to stir up tasty water bugs!

Their huge bill contains tiny comb-like filters called lamellae!

These ducks often dabble with their heads down, showing their rumps!

You might spot their bright blue wing patches when they fly away!

Special abilities

Northern Shoveler has a unique, broad, spoon-shaped bill with special filters that helps them sieve tiny food from water.

Northern Shoveler can spin in circles in the water to create currents, concentrating food particles for easier filtering.

Northern Shoveler can fly thousands of kilometers during migration, helping them find warm wintering grounds and abundant food.

Measurements & details

Length: 43-56 cm
Wingspan: 70-84 cm
Weight: 0.4-0.8 kg
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Top Speed: 75 km/h
Clutch Size: 8-12
Incubation: 22-28 days
Migration Distance: 4500 km

Diet & Feeding

These ducks filter tiny plants, seeds, and small critters from the water using their special bills.

Primary Foods

Plankton
Small crustaceans
Insect larvae
Seeds
Aquatic plants

Foraging Method

Filter Feeding

Ecological connections

eaten by

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Adult shovelers can be prey for large raptors.

eaten by

Coyote

Canis latrans

Coyotes often prey on eggs and ducklings in nests.

depends on

Broadleaf Cattail

Typha latifolia

Cattails provide nesting cover and materials in marsh habitats.

eats

Water Flea

Daphnia magna

Water fleas are a common zooplankton filtered by their bills.

Traits

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Spotted

Marked with spots or patches of a different color.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.