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Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata
The Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) is a very common and widespread duck over most of North America. It breeds in the northwestern U.S. and most of western Canada and migrates or winters everyplace else. This species has a very unique bill that is very distinctive. Shovelers feed by swimming through the water with their bill submerged and allowing them to filter small food items from near the surface. There is a shot at right of a female skimming her bill through the water in this manner. The shots here show wintering individuals in Austin, Travis Co., Texas. All these shots were taken with a Canon EOS 10D and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens.
The three shots shown here show female Northern Shovelers at Port Aransas, Nueces Co., Texas in February, 2001. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 3 and EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens on Fuji Provia film.
The next 3 shots, 2 of a male and 1 of a female, were taken at Medicine Lake N.W.R., Sheridan Co., Montana, in June, 2007, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and an EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens.
The male Northern Shoveler shown here was in Austin, Texas, in April, 2008. This shot was taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 2X extender.
The next 6 shots were taken at Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in April, 2009 with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 800mm F/5.6 L IS lens and 1.4X extender.
The next 2 shots of male and female Northern Shoveler show the birds in a characteristic method of foraging whereby the bird swims through the water using its bill to strain food particles from the water's surface.
The next 3 shots of Northern Shovelers were also in Austin, Travis Co., Texas. These shots were taken in December, 2009, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and an EF 800mm F/5.6 L IS lens.
The male Northern Shoveler shown here was in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in February, 2010.
The next four shots of Northern Shoveler (one shot of a male followed by 3 shots of a female) were taken in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in December, 2010, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and an EF 800mm F/4 L IS lens and 1.4X extender.
Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata
male - close up detail of head
Hornsby Bend,
Austin, Travis Co., Texas
8 May 2013