Northern Shoveler – Spatula clypeata
Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Class: Aves
- Order: Anseriformes
- Family: Anatidae
- Genre: Spatula
- Species: Spatula clypeata
Identification characters
The Northern Shoveler is a medium-sized duck species, with an adult body length of 44-52 cm,
and a wingspan of 73-83 cm. The average weight is 410-1100 g. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced.
The male is brightly coloured, with a green head that is black when seen from a distance, chest and
white lateral outline, chestnut central flanks, black back and bottom, dark blue mirror.
The female has an overall brownish, mottled coloration, perfect for camouflage during the hatching period, and the mirror is green. Juveniles are similar to the adult female, but have darker crest and dorsal side of neck, and lighter coloured abdomen. An important identifying feature of the spoonbill in both sexes is the large, long, broad, spoon-like beak, hence the duck’s name.