Northern Shoveler

Spatula cyanoptera

The Northern Shoveler is a distinctive dabbling duck with a large spatula-shaped bill, which it uses to filter small invertebrates and seeds from the water. Males have striking iridescent green heads, white chests, and chestnut flanks, while females are mottled brown with a powder-blue shoulder patch. These ducks are highly migratory, breeding in northern North America and Eurasia, and wintering in southern United States, Mexico, and Central America. They are often found in shallow freshwater wetlands, marshes, and ponds, where they feed by dabbling and upending in the water. The Northern Shoveler is a common and widespread species and is not currently considered at risk.

Habitat: Freshwater wetlands, marshes, ponds