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| Fact Sheet |
| Scientific Name |
Anas clypeata |
| Wing spread |
31 inches |
| Body length |
19 inches |
| Weight |
1.5 pounds |
| Description |
Shovelers are a medium-sized duck with a distinctive large bill. From late fall through spring,males have a glossy green head, white chest and chestnut sides. Females are a drab brownish gray. Both sexes have a blue wing patch, and glossy green speculum with white bars. Its wings are identical to blue-winged teal, except larger. |
| Nesting Habitat |
Typically nests in tall undisturbed grass cover. |
| Clutch size |
10 eggs |
| Incubation period |
24 days |
| Status in North Dakota |
The northern shoveler is common during migration and nesting seasons in North Dakota. |
| Food habits |
Shovelers feed on plankton, fingernail clams and aquatic insects. |
| Fun Facts |
Shovelers have the most unusual feeding habits of any duck. At times, tight groups of several dozen birds will rotate in a pinwheel fashion, stirring up the surface water. |
