Bird
Northern Shoveler Facts
Spatula clypeata
Northern Shoveler Facts at a Glance
It belongs to the family Anatidae in the order Anseriformes. This profile is designed as a concise starting point; the source names below document the review basis.
Northern Shoveler Conservation Status
Northern Shoveler is listed here as Least Concern. Protecting habitat, maintaining healthy prey or food sources, and reducing human pressure are important parts of conserving wild populations.
Quick facts
Fun facts
- As a result, mud-bottomed marshes rich in invertebrates are their habitat of choice.
- Their wide, flat bill is equipped with well-developed lamellae – small, comb-like structures on the edge of the bill that act like sieves, allowing the birds to skim crustaceans and plankton from the surface of the water.
- They use their highly specialised bills (from which their name is derived) to forage for aquatic invertebrates.
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Sources and image credit
Animal facts are reviewed against the references below. The photograph remains available under the stated license.