Northern Shoveler, Filter Feeding Champion

Instead of shoveling on land, these dabbling ducks ‘shovel’ in the water with spatulate beaks. Like a duck-sized Baleen whale mouth, the Northern Shoveler is the champ at filter-feeding, foraging head-down in shallow wetland waters. The tiny comb-like projections (called lamellae) along their beak edges filter out tiny crustaceans and seeds from the water. Aside from a black spoon-bill, males are colorful with a deep green head, white chest, and rusty sides. Females’ bills are bright orange, and coloring is mottled brown. Though a bit heavier-set than many ducks, they are good fliers. 

Diet varies with season and habitat. In winter, they forage seeds and parts of aquatic plants; in summer, their diet includes small fish, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. As they swim beak-down, they swing their bills side to side to sift in muddy waters. 

Shovelers are monogamous and remain together longer than most dabbling ducks, pairing up in winter. During breeding season, they’re found in Alaska, Western Canada and upper Midwest to parts of the Pacific Northwest. They migrate to Southern US into Mexico for winter, seeking shallow waters of marshes, ponds, salt bays, and lakes. 

Courtship occurs in winter, and several males may court one female. They are fairly social ducks, occurring in groups with shovelers and other dabbling ducks, especially during the winter. During the breeding season, they are less tolerant of other shovelers encroaching on their territory. Defensive males often chase intruders on the water and in the air. Males court females on the wintering grounds with turns, dips, wing flaps, and head pumping. She chooses a male by flying away with him. The female does the work of building the nest, a shallow depression on ground lined with feathers and grasses, and incubating the 6 to 14 eggs. If a female is flushed from her nest, she may defecate on it to deter predators. 

The USFWS monitors duck populations and manages hunting limits. Shovelers are of low conservation concern at this time. 

Original mixed media on raw stretched canvas with maple float frame. Alternative hardwood frames available upon request.

Sources: All About Birds and Audubon Society