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Australian Wildlife

  Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)





Northern Shoveler | Anas clypeata photo
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata), Rockport, Texas

Image by Al Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)

Northern Shoveler | Anas clypeata photo
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Image by J.M.Garg - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







NORTHERN SHOVELER FACTS

Description
The male Northern Shoveler has black back, white chest and black bill. The sides and belly are chestnut-brown. The head is dark glossy with yellow eyes. The non-breeding plumage is more subdued - head and breast are mottled dark brown and sides are light brown. The female is gray brown and the body feathers have light edges giving a scalloped appearance. The bill is olive-green with yellow base and edge. Juveniles are similar to females.

Size
45cm - 50cm

Habitat
wetlands, freshwater marshes, saltwater marshes

Food
aquatic insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates, seeds.

Breeding
It nests among vegetation near water. The nest is a shallow depression on the ground lined with down. Lays around 8 - 12 greenish gray or olive eggs.

Range
The Northern Shoveler breeds in North America and northern parts of Europe and Asia. In winter it migrates to southern Europe, Africa, India, South-east Asia, Central America and northern parts of South America. It is a rare visitor to Australia.

distribution map showing range of Anas clypeata in Australia

Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.



Classification
Class:Aves
Order:Anseriformes
Family:Anatidae
Genus:Anas
Species:clypeata
Common Name:Northern Shoveler

Relatives in same Genus
  Northern Pintail (A. acuta)
  Chestnut Teal (A. castanea)
  Grey Teal (A. gracilis)
  Mallard (A. platyrhynchos)
  Garganey (A. querquedula)
  Australasian Shoveler (A. rhynchotis)
  Pacific Black Duck (A. superciliosa)