Anas
clypeata
(Northern
Shoveler)
Physical
Description:
Size: 17-20" (43-51 cm).
The Northern Shoveler is actually a large teal. Easily identified by its broad,
spoon-shaped bill and relatively short neck. When swimming, it sits low with
its bill angled toward the water. Males have a green head, white breast and
chestnut sides. Females are mottled
buff
to brown. Both sexes have
a greenish speculum and bluish patch on the
forewing.
Similar Species- Male mallards are larger, have chestnut breast with white belly and narrower bill. Female Blue-winged, Green-winged and Cinnamon Teal are smaller with shorter, narrower bills.
Song:
Males
give a rattling call while courting: otherwise silent. Females give a low quack.
Distribution:
Breeds
from Alaska, east to Manitoba, south to California, New Mexico, and Western
Indiana, and locally eastward. Winters from southwestern British Columbia to
Arizona, east from there to Gulf Coast, coastal Georgia and South Carolina,
and south to northern South America. Rarely winters in northern to north-central
or northeastern United States.
Habitat:
Found on shallow, often muddy, freshwater
areas with surrounding cover, including ponds, marshes, sloughs, and creeks.
During migration and in winter, occupies both freshwater and
brackish habitats, and (atypically)
cultivated fields. In Idaho, prefers potholes, ponds and marshes at lower elevations.
Diet:
Opportunistic forager. Eats seeds
of sedges, bulrushes, sawgrass, pondweeds, smartweeds, algae, duckweed, and
others. Will also eat mollusks, aquatic insects, and crustaceans. Manitoba study
found males and females ate primarily aquatic invertebrates during pre-laying
and laying periods. Aquatic invertebrates (e.g., water boatmen) may dominate
winter diet in some areas.
Ecology:
Commonly builds nest at water's
edge. Usually dabbles at water surface (in Idaho, known to skim aquatic plants
and animals off surface). Usually feeds in pairs or small groups. Large concentrations
can be seen at migration staging areas. An Idaho
study suggested that avian and mammalian predators may significantly affect
nest success in some wildlife management areas.
6-14 eggs (usually 10-
12), for 23-25 days. Female tends nestlings, which are precocial and downy, and become
independent in about 6-7 wk.
Conservation:
| Element Code: | ABNJB10150 |
| Status: | Game species |
| Global Rank: | G5 |
| State Rank: | S5 |
| National Rank: | N5B,N5N |
Important State References:
Gazda, R.J. 1994. Duck productivity and
nest predation in southeastern Idaho. M.S. Thesis, Univ. of Montana, Missoula.
61pp.