Northern Shoveler

Species Facts

Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern

Description:  A dabbling duck with a distinct wide, spoon-shaped bill. Males have a green head, yellow eyes, white chest, and brown flanks. Females are a mottled brown with bright orange bill and legs.

Play Northern Shoveler call:

Where to find them: Northern Shovelers spend the breeding season in Alaska, Canada, and the northwestern United States as well as northern parts of Europe and Asia. In the winter months they head south through the U.S. and Mexico down into Central America, Columbia and Venezuela. The European and Asian populations head south into Western Europe, Africa, and the southern parts of Asia.

Fun Facts:

• Their bills have special comb-like structures that allow them to filter their food out of the water.
• During the non-breeding season, male shovelers have an eclipse plumage where their head and chest are much duller.
• International Bird Rescue helped care for hundreds of these unique ducks during the 2023 Tulare Botulism Response as a part of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network.

Threats: Pollution, disease

How YOU can Help:

Be sure to dispose of hazardous liquids properly and encourage others to do the same. Proper disposal of waste materials will prevent them from winding up in our waterways and harming wildlife.