How did the northern shoveler get its name?

What kind of bird is a shoveler?

Despite their stout appearance, shovelers are nimble fliers. This is a fairly quiet species. The male has a clunking call, whereas the female has a Mallard-like quack. This is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation.

Is the Duck related to the shoveler of today?

Fossil bones of a very similar duck have been found in Early Pleistocene deposits at Dursunlu, Turkey. It is unresolved, however, how these birds were related to the northern shoveler of today; i.e., whether the differences noted were due to being a related species or paleosubspecies, or attributable to individual variation.

What kind of Bill does a shoveler have?

Perhaps the most outwardly distinctive of the dabbling ducks thanks to its large spoon-shaped bill, the Northern Shoveler busily forages head down in shallow wetlands. Its uniquely shaped bill has comblike projections along its edges, which filter out tiny crustaceans and seeds from the water.

Where do northern shovelers come from?

Northern Shovelers don’t just occur in the Americas, they also breed across Europe and spend the winter throughout Europe, Africa, and India. The oldest recorded Northern Shoveler was a male, and at least 16 years, 7 months old when he was found in Nevada.

What is the difference between a shoveler and other ducks?

Shovelers are a little less wary than other ducks, sometimes affording closer looks without the need of a spotting scope.

What does the shoveler fish look like?

The bill of the Northern Shoveler is big (about 2.5 inches long) and shaped like a shovel, but that odd-shaped bill also has about 110 fine projections (called lamellae) along the edges that act like a colander, filtering out tiny crustaceans, seeds, and aquatic invertebrates from the water.

How does a shoveler duck feed?

A common dabbling duck, particularly during the winter, shovelers feed by sweeping their large, flat bills back and forth through the water, filtering out small invertebrates, plant seeds and other plant matter. The shoveler lives up to its name – it can be distinguished by its long, broad ‘shovel’ of a bill.

What is the scientific name of the shoveler?

Scientific name: Anas clypeata. Living up to its name, the Shoveler has a large and distinctive shovel-like bill which it uses to feed at the surface of the water.

What kind of Bill does a shoveler duck have?

Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. The aptly named Northern Shoveler has a shovel-shaped bill that quickly sets it apart from other dabbling ducks. It is a medium-sized duck that tends to sit with its rear a bit higher out of the water almost like its bill is pulling its front half down.

Where can I find a shoveler duck?

The female is no less interesting with a giant orange bill and mottled brown plumage. National Wildlife Refuges are a great place to look for Northern Shovelers from migration throughout the winter months (August–April). Look around the fringes of shallow areas for groups of ducks with their heads down foraging intently.

How can you tell a shoveler from a pigeon?

The shoveler lives up to its name – it can be distinguished by its long, broad ‘shovel’ of a bill. The male has a dark green head, white breast and orangey-brown sides during the breeding season. Females are mottled brown, but have a pale blue forewing.

What does a female shoveler bird look like?

Female and immature shovelers are mottled in brown and have powdery-blue on the wings that is sometimes visible on resting birds. Their very large orange bill is their most notable field mark.

What is the habitat of a shoveler?

Northern Shoveler Life History. Habitat. Northern Shovelers use shallow wetlands with submerged vegetation during the breeding season, nesting along the margins and in the neighboring grassy fields. Outside of the breeding season they forage in saltmarshes, estuaries, lakes, flooded fields, wetlands, agricultural ponds, and wastewater ponds.

Are shoveler ducks gregarious?

It is not as gregarious as some dabbling ducks outside the breeding season and tends to form only small flocks. Among North America’s duck species, northern shovelers trail only mallards and blue-winged teal in overall abundance.

How many shovelers are there in the world?

Northern Shovelers are common and their populations were stable between 1966 and 2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 4.5 million.

What are the characteristics of the northern shoveler?

Northern Shoveler Life History 1 Habitat. Northern Shovelers use shallow wetlands with submerged vegetation during… 2 Food. Shovelers eat tiny crustaceans, other aquatic invertebrates,… 3 Nesting. Females make a small depression on the ground, generally in areas with short vegetation… 4 Behavior. Northern Shovelers swim through wetlands,…

What is a shoveler duck?

Shovelers are surface feeing ducks with huge spatulate bills. Males have dark green heads, with white breasts and chestnut flanks. Females are mottled brown.

What do shovelers eat?

Shovelers eat tiny crustaceans, other aquatic invertebrates, and seeds which they filter out of the water with comblike projections (called lamellae) along the edge of the bill. Females make a small depression on the ground, generally in areas with short vegetation within 150 feet of water.

How many hunters take a shoveler duck every year?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully manages duck hunting, and limits the number of individuals hunters can take every year based on population size. From 2012–2016, hunters have taken an average of 705,533 Northern Shovelers per year. Dubowy, Paul J. (1996).

What does a shoveler bird look like?

The shoveler lives up to its name – it can be distinguished by its long, broad ‘shovel’ of a bill. The male has a dark green head, white breast and orangey-brown sides during the breeding season.

Why do different waterfowl have different bills?

But just as we select the correct utensils for dining, waterfowl species have also developed different bill sizes and shapes for acquiring food. Dabbling ducks like mallards, pintails, and gadwalls have round-tipped bills that are relatively flat, about as long as the duck’s head, and deeper than they are broad at the base.

Are shoveler ducks monogamous?

Northern Shovelers are monogamous and remain together longer than pairs of most other dabbling ducks. They form bonds on the wintering grounds and stay together until just before fall migration. When flushed off the nest, a female Northern Shoveler often defecates on its eggs, apparently to deter predators.