Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

OTHER NAMES: Shoveler

Latin Etymology: Anas ("duck") clypeata ("shield bearing")

Juvenile Northern Shoveller (Anas clypeata) at Kensington Gardens, London - March 2010

Mixed group of adult Northern Shoveller (Anas clypeata) with Grey Plover and Common Teal at Oare Marshes, Kent - January 2013

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 600g  /  Length: 48cm  /  Wingspan: 76cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Shoveler is probably one of my favourite ducks, it has a lovely colour scheme combined with that comically enormous bill that it uses to filter the water for small invertebrates using filter like structures on the inside of the beak.   They are also one of the largest ducks in Europe, making them fairly distinctive for that alone.  While they will be most numerous on invertebrate rich and fairly undisturbed bodies of water, you can actually get some close views of them in certain city parks of them if you are lucky.

Related Species: 

Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Anas 
Subspecies: none - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Scarce breeding species (300-1000 pairs) and locally common Wintering species (18,000 birds)

 - Birds seen at sites including Rutland Water, Rainham Marshes, Regent's Park, Kensington Gardens, Pitsford Reservoir and Eyebrook Reservoir.

SPAIN - Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: A few seen at Laguna Navaseca.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto