Characteristics
 The
most unique feature of the northern shoveler is its large shovel-shaped
bill. Male shovelers have green heads, a white body, rusty-red undersides
and black wings. Females have mottled brown, black and white feathers and
a blue patch on their wings.
Range
 The northern shoveler breeds from Alaska east to northern Manitoba and south to California and the Great Lakes region. It winters from Oregon south to California and west across the southern United States and up the east coast to New Jersey.
Habitat
The northern shoveler can be found in marshes and prairie potholes. It needs habitats with shallow water with muddy bottoms. |
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Diet
 The northern shoveler is a filter feeder. It skims its bill just above the bottom of a pond or lake and sucks water into the front of its bill, then it uses the comb-like teeth on its bill to strain out plants and aquatic animals. It squirts the water out of the sides of its bill.
Life Cycle
 The female lays eight to twelve eggs in a nest made of grass and leaves and lined with down and feathers. The nest is built on the ground under a bush or in tall vegetation. The female incubates the eggs. They hatch in about three weeks. Soon after hatching, the female leads the ducklings to the the water and teaches them how to catch insects and find plants to eat. The ducklings fledge in 40 to 70 days.
Behavior
During the heat of the day, the shoveler often rests on the mud next to the water.
Image Credits: Clipart.com unless otherwise noted
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