Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
Unlike the rest of the dabbling ducks, the Northern Shoveler is more of a surface feeder, Their large odd-shaped bill has over a hundred fine projections called lamellae along the edges, for filtering tiny crustaceans, other aquatic invertebrates, and seeds from the shallow waterways where they like to feed.
These birds are not only North American, but make homes across Europe and Asia as well. Most of our North American birds migrate in summer to the higher latitudes of the northern Great Plains and through the Canadian Yukon and Alaska. Some spend summers near the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River Valley. Winters find most of these ducks further south, in places from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeastern USA, the Atlantic seaboard, and deep into Mexico. In a few locations, like the western Great Basin, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico’s Rio Grande Valley, they are year-round residents.
I’ve often found Northern Shovelers are more confiding than other species, seemingly less bothered by the presence of human observers. I sometimes find these ducks foraging in rafts of several dozen members, swimming in tight formation with bills sifting the water’s surface to filter tiny prey from the shallows.
Like Northern Pintails, despite their global presence, today’s science views Northern Shovelers as monotypic (i.e. no subspecies recognised).
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Large open water ponds here attracted ducks and geese. Lee Metcalf NWR in the Bitterroot Valley near Stevensville, Montana. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:26 15:25 |
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Location:
Lee Metcalf NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X4898-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Swimming pair at Sacramento NWR, between Willows and Williams, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:31 12:08 |
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Location:
Sacramento NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X6532-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Near Lack & Lindsey Roads. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:10:13 16:52 |
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Location:
Fondo |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X8132-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Location is the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, south of Klamath Falls Oregon in California USA 2016-05-05. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:05 13:51 |
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Location:
Lower Klamath NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D720922-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Location is the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, south of Klamath Falls Oregon in California USA 2016-05-05. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:05 13:53 |
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Location:
Lower Klamath NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D720941-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Note the lamellae, used for filtering food. Fort Lowell Park in Tucson Arizona USA 2016-05-05. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:25 11:32 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: jcd2004NorthernShoveler |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Note the lamellae, used for filtering food. Fort Lowell Park in Tucson Arizona USA 2016-05-05. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:25 11:36 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/750 |
File Name: jcd2024NorthernShoveler |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Whelan Lake, near Oceanside. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2003:10:05 15:16 |
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Location:
Rancho San Luis Rey Trailer Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/500 |
File Name: JCD_3414NorthernShoveler |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-Imaging.com) |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Whelan Lake, near Oceanside. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2003:10:09 12:03 |
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Location:
Rancho San Luis Rey Trailer Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/350 |
File Name: JCD_3501NortherShovler |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-Imaging.com) |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Bosque del Apache NWR. Near Socorro, New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2005:02:17 9:14 |
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Location:
San Antonito |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 600 mm, f/8.0, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD_4179NorthernShoveler |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-Imaging.com) |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Bosque del Apache NWR. Near Socorro, New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2005:02:17 9:27 |
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Location:
Bosque del Apache NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/350 |
File Name: JCD_4206NorthernShoveler |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Bosque del Apache NWR. Near Socorro, New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2005:02:17 9:41 |
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Location:
Bosque del Apache NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 400 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD_4231NorthernShoveler |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Raft of Shovelers shoveling. Upper Klamath Lake, Klamath Falls, Southern Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2003:12:15 11:31 |
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Location:
Terminal City |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/160 |
File Name: JCD_4445NorthernShoveler |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-Imaging.com) |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Foraging hens at Sacramento NWR, between Willows and Williams, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:31 12:12 |
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Location:
Sacramento NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X6542-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Swimming pair at Sacramento NWR, between Willows and Williams, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:31 11:00 |
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Location:
Sacramento NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X6250-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Santee Lakes in Santee, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:12:19 13:01 |
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Location:
Santee Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/13.0, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X4474-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Autumn adult male at the mouth of the San Luis Rey River in Oceanside, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:09:23 11:24 |
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Location:
San Luis Rey Rivermouth |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X0247-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Winter visitor at Santee Lakes in Santee, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:12:19 11:38 |
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Location:
Santee Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/13.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X4307-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Winter visitor at Santee Lakes in Santee, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:12:19 11:18 |
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Location:
Santee Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/13.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X4200-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Female in Imperial Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:01:31 13:37 |
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Location:
Imperial Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X0807-NorthernShoveler |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: A pair seen at the Merced National Wildlife Reserve on 2019-01-26, twelve miles southwest of the town of Merced, Merced County California (USA). |
Date Taken: 2019:01:26 15:48 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 460 mm, f/10.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: NorthernShoveler_D507761-Merced-NWR |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: (Anas clypeata) Seen at the Merced National Wildlife Reserve on 2019-01-26, twelve miles southwest of the town of Merced, Merced County California (USA). |
Date Taken: 2019:01:26 13:40 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 490 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: NorthernShoveler_D507189-Merced-NWR |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: At 6:15am I was the first guest at the preserve and I stayed until 12:30. Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson, southern Nevada. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:09 8:39 |
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Location:
Bird Viewing Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: NorthernShoveler_D5X7615-Henderson-BVP |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Shovelers are specialized foragers. they have sieve-like filters (called lamellae) at the edges of their bill for filtering small food items from the water's shallows. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:11 15:06 |
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Location:
Gilbert Water Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: NorthernShoveler_D5X9759-GilbertWaterRanch |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: At 6:15am I was the first guest at the preserve and I stayed until 12:30. Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson, southern Nevada. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:09 8:52 |
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Location:
Bird Viewing Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: NorthernShoveler_D5X7799-Henderson-BVP |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: Wigeons, shovelers and pintails were among the limited numbers of dabbling ducks at Bosque during our Saturday tour. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his Harris's Hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 12:40 |
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Location:
Bosque del Apache NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: NorthernShoveler_D5X4569-BosqueDelApache |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: There seemed to be more Northern Shovelers at Bosque this day than any other duck. The world famous Bosque del Apache may not be the center of the geese and crane universe today that it once was, but it can still provide a few thrills. A tour on this Tuesday in December taught me this lesson. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:22 13:55 |
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Location:
Bosque del Apache NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: NorthernShoveler_D5X1364-BosqueDelApache |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: I found shovelers among the dabblers on the shallow ponds. I finally got my chance to visit Santa Ana National Wildlife Reserve this Sunday. I’ve wanted to explore there since my first trip to Texas in the Spring of 2020, but with the global pandemic, it was one of several locations that shut their doors to all visitors while I was here last spring. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:21 12:07 |
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Location:
Santa Ana NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: NorthernShoveler_D5X4280-SantaAna-NWR |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Shoveler(Spatula clypeata) |
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Description: I didn’t notice until I studied my images, but this poor bird has a badly broken wing. I broke camp at High Island early Monday and set a course for nearby Anahuac National Wildlife Reserve. There are several roads to explore there, but I chose the loop around Shoveler Pond. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:08 10:04 |
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Location:
Anahuac NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: NorthernShoveler_D5X0744-Anahuac_NWR |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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