Bird
Bird
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
The Northern Shoveler is a distinctive dabbling duck that visits Trinidad's wetlands in the northern winter, its greatly enlarged, spatula-shaped bill adapted for filter-feeding on tiny aquatic organisms.
The Northern Shoveler is a distinctive dabbling duck that visits Trinidad's wetlands in the northern winter, its greatly enlarged, spatula-shaped bill adapted for filter-feeding on tiny aquatic organisms.
Identification
A medium-sized duck around 45 to 50 cm long with a notably long, broad, spoon-shaped bill. Breeding males show a glossy green head, white breast, and rich chestnut flanks; females and non-breeding males are mottled brown, with the oversized bill remaining the most reliable identification feature year-round.
Migration
A non-breeding migrant present in Trinidad during the northern winter, having bred on wetlands across Canada and the northern United States. It winters throughout the Caribbean and Central America, and is absent from Trinidad outside this non-breeding season.
Status in T&T
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to freshwater wetlands in Trinidad, foraging by sweeping its bill through the water surface to filter out plankton and small invertebrates. Not considered threatened, and it is protected as a migratory species under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.
