Northern Shoveler
by Elizabeth Winter
Title
Northern Shoveler
Artist
Elizabeth Winter
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Perhaps the most outwardly distinctive of the dabbling ducks, the Northern Shoveler inhabits wetlands across much of North America. Its elongated, spoon-shaped bill has comblike projections along its edges, which filter out food from the water.
The Northern Shoveler, related to the Blue-winged and Cinnamon teal, favors broad, shallow marshes where it can use the comb-like teeth along the edges of its large bill to strain aquatic animals, plants, and seeds from the water. Like the two teal, male shovelers wear eclipse plumage until February, much later than ducks whose courtship begins in the fall. Though less numerous than in ancient times, the Northern Shoveler and other marsh ducks have lately become relatively abundant because game departments and private organizations in Canada, the United States, and Mexico have purchased wetland habitat to ensure their survival.
Uploaded
April 2nd, 2014
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Viewed 150 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/26/2024 at 12:12 AM
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Comments (25)
Bill Caldwell - ABeautifulSky Photography
Awesome capture Elizabeth, these guys are so colorful! f/v
Jack Zulli
I am not familiar with this bird and its interesting characteristics; thanks for the added info...nice capture, well done;) v/L
J Laughlin
Nice work capturing this guy. It is interesting finding some of these birds in our part of the country.