Northern Shoveler

The northern shoveler is unmistakable for its large, spatula-shaped bill. The breeding drake has a dark green head that looks black at a distance, a white breast and chestnut belly and flanks, and in flight shows pale blue forewings separated from the green speculum by a white border. The female is mottled brown like other dabbling ducks but is easily told by her long, broad bill edged with orange. It is 44–52cm long, with a wingspan of 70–84cm and a weight usually of 500–800g (Wikipedia, general species account).

It feeds by swinging its bill from side to side through the water, straining crustaceans, plankton and other small invertebrates through comb-like plates along the bill edges, so it seldom competes with other dabbling ducks for food. It breeds across northern Europe, the Palearctic and North America, nesting in grass away from open water and laying about nine eggs. In India it is a winter migrant. SoIB 2023 estimates a long-term decline of about 65% and a continuing fall of about 7% a year, and rates it a High conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).