Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Northern Shoveler

G5Secure Found in 67 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101986
Element CodeABNJB10150
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderAnseriformes
FamilyAnatidae
GenusSpatula
Synonyms
Anas clypeataLinnaeus, 1758
Other Common Names
Canard souchet (FR) northern shoveler (EN) Pato Cucharón-Norteño (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly (AOU 1983, 1998) considered part of Anas, but now treated as separate on the basis of genetic data (Gonzalez et al. 2009) which indicate that Anas as previously constituted was paraphyletic, and further that it consisted of four deeply divergent clades, now recognized as the separate genera Sibirionetta, Spatula, Mareca, and Anas (cf. Livezey 1991). Linear sequence of genera and species follows Gonzalez et al. (2009). (AOU 2017).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-06
Change Date1996-11-21
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: Holarctic. In North America, primarily from Alaska east to Manitoba, south to California, New Mexico, Nebraska, western Iowa, locally eastward; also in Eurasia. NON-BREEDING: southwestern British Columbia, Arizona, east to Gulf Coast, coastal Georgia and South Carolina south to northern Colombia (rarely northern Venezuela), West Indies, and Hawaii, rarely north to north-central and northeastern U.S.; also Old World. In the U.S., the highest winter densities occur in the San Joaquin and Imperial valleys and the Clear Lake refuge in California, and the Bitter Lake refuge in New Mexico; winter abundance may vary greatly from year to year at a particular location (Root 1988).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

BREEDING: Shallow, often muddy, fresh-water areas with surrounding cover. Ponds, marshes, sloughs, and creeks. Nests near shallow freshwater lake, pond, marsh, etc. Nests on the ground, usually near edge of water. The nest is a hollow lined with plant material and down. NON-BREEDING: In migration and winter in both freshwater and brackish habitats, and in cultivated fields (not typical) (AOU 1983).

Ecology

Large concentrations seen at migration staging areas. Usually feeds in pairs or small groups.

Reproduction

Breeding begins in late March in the south to early June in the north. Clutch size: 6-14 (usually 10-12). Incubation: 23-25 days, by female (Terres 1980). Young are tended by female, independent in about 6-7 weeks (Harrison 1978). Clutch size may be limited by lipid reserves rather than by protein acquisition (Ankney and Afteon 1988).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
MississippiS4NYes
KentuckyS1BYes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
MissouriSNRN,SNRMYes
IndianaSHBYes
WisconsinS3B,S4NYes
North CarolinaS3NYes
District of ColumbiaS1NYes
ArkansasS4NYes
TennesseeS4NYes
New YorkS2Yes
LouisianaS5NYes
FloridaSNRNYes
AlabamaS2B,S5NYes
NebraskaS4Yes
OregonS5Yes
MichiganSNRNYes
WashingtonS4B,S3NYes
KansasS2BYes
IllinoisS1Yes
ColoradoS4BYes
TexasS3B,S5NYes
WyomingS5B,S4NYes
MarylandS2NYes
New MexicoS3B,S5NYes
VermontSNAYes
Navajo NationS4MYes
PennsylvaniaS3NYes
MaineS1BYes
NevadaS3B,S5NYes
VirginiaSNRNYes
DelawareSHB,S4NYes
North DakotaSNRBYes
GeorgiaS4Yes
ConnecticutSNAYes
MontanaS5BYes
IowaS2B,S5NYes
UtahS3Yes
MassachusettsS1B,S4MYes
New JerseySNRNYes
ArizonaS1B,S5NYes
South CarolinaS4NYes
CaliforniaSNRB,SNRNYes
AlaskaS5BYes
South DakotaS5BYes
HawaiiSNAYes
New HampshireSNAYes
OklahomaSNRNYes
West VirginiaS3NYes
Rhode IslandS2NYes
IdahoS4B,S4NYes
CanadaN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
Prince Edward IslandS2BYes
British ColumbiaS5B,S5NYes
LabradorS3B,SUMYes
Yukon TerritoryS5BYes
NunavutSUBYes
Nova ScotiaS2B,SUMYes
OntarioS4B,S4N,S5MYes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
New BrunswickS3BYes
ManitobaS5BYes
QuebecS4BYes
SaskatchewanS5BYes
AlbertaS5BYes
Roadless Areas (67)
Alaska (14)
AreaForestAcres
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
HyderTongass National Forest121,723
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
Middle KruzofTongass National Forest14,724
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
Arizona (3)
AreaForestAcres
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
California (8)
AreaForestAcres
Dobie FlatModoc National Forest15,079
Excelsior (CA)Inyo National Forest45,607
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
LavasModoc National Forest25,864
Log Cabin SaddlebagInyo National Forest15,165
Malduce BuckhornLos Padres National Forest14,177
Mystic (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest836
Timbered CraterLassen National Forest4,096
Colorado (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
Red TableWhite River NF39,122
Idaho (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Borah PeakSalmon-Challis National Forest130,463
HoodooNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest153,868
PalisadesCaribou-Targhee National Forest122,002
Montana (7)
AreaForestAcres
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLewis and Clark National Forest344,022
Big Snowy Mountains WsaLewis and Clark National Forest88,003
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
Cube Iron - SilcoxLolo National Forest36,998
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
Snowcrest MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,649
Nevada (8)
AreaForestAcres
Antelope - West 1Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest8,642
Bald Mtn.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest41,598
Four MileHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest24,093
Mystic (NV)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,644
Pearl PeakHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest71,405
Rose - Davis Mdw.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,361
Rose - EvansHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,782
Table Mtn. - EastHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest87,789
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
SheyenneDakota Prairie Grasslands14,537
Oregon (5)
AreaForestAcres
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Mt. BaileyUmpqua National Forest18,401
North PaulinaDeschutes National Forest19,670
South PaulinaDeschutes National Forest9,074
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Utah (5)
AreaForestAcres
0401011Ashley National Forest30,062
HogsbackWasatch-Cache National Forest7,936
North HillsDixie National Forest24,480
Rock CanyonDixie National Forest16,457
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Granite MountainOkanogan National Forest27,428
Wyoming (3)
AreaForestAcres
Gros Ventre MountainsBridger-Teton National Forest106,418
PalisadesTarghee National Forest1,121
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
References (34)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). Chesser, R.T., K.J. Burns, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2017. Fifty-eighth Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 134:751-773.
  4. Ankney, C. D., and A. D. Afteon. 1988. Bioenergetics of breeding northern shovelers: diet, nutrient reserves, clutch size, and incubation. Condor 90:459-472.
  5. Barker, W. T., et al. 1990. Effects of specialized grazing systems on waterfowl production in southcentral North Dakota. Trans. 55th North American Wildl. & Nat. Res. Conf., pp. 462-474.
  6. Bellrose, F.C. 1976. Ducks, geese and swans of North America. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.
  7. BirdLife International. 2004b. Threatened birds of the world 2004. CD ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
  8. Coulter, M. W., and W. R. Miller. 1968. Nesting biology of Black Ducks and Mallards in northern New England. Vermont Fish and Game Department Bulletin 68-2.
  9. Dubowy, P.J. 1996. Northern Shoveler (<i>Anas clypeata</i>). In A. Poole and F. Gill, editors, The Birds of North America, No. 217. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC. 24 pp.
  10. Dzubin, A. 1955. Some evidence of home range in waterfowl. Transactions of the North American Wildlife Conference 20:278-298.
  11. Frazer, C., J. R. Longcore, and D. G. McAuley. 1990a. Habitat use by postfledging American black ducks in Maine and New Brunswick. Journal of Wildlife Management 54:451-459.
  12. Gilmer, D. S., I. J. Ball, L. M. Cowardin, J. H. Riechmann, and J. R. Tester. 1975. Habitat use and home range of mallards breeding in Minnesota. Journal of Wildlife Management 39:781-789.
  13. Godfrey, W.E. 1966. The birds of Canada. National Museums of Canada. Ottawa. 428 pp.
  14. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  15. Hilty, S.L. and W. L. Brown. 1986. A Guide to the Birds of Colombia. Princeton University Press, Princeton, USA. 836 pp.
  16. Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb. 1995. A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
  17. Johnson, S. R. and D. R. Herter. 1989. The Birds of the Beaufort Sea. BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. 372 pp.
  18. Livezey, B. C. 1991. A phylogenetic analysis and classification of recent dabbling ducks (tribe Anatini) based on comparative morphology. Auk 108:471-507.
  19. Madge, S., and H. Burn. 1988. Waterfowl: An Identification Guide to the Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 298 pp.
  20. Parker III, T. A., D. F. Stotz, and J. W. Fitzpatrick. 1996. Ecological and distributional databases for neotropical birds. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  21. Peterson, R.T. 1980b. A field guide to the birds of eastern and central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  22. Peterson, R.T. 1990b. A field guide to western birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  23. Pratt, H. D., P. L. Bruner, and D. G. Berrett. 1987. A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 409 pp. + 45 plates.
  24. Raffaele, H., J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 1998. A guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 511 pp.
  25. Rappole, J.H., Morton, E.S., Lovejoy, T.E. and Ruos, J.L. 1983. Nearctic avian migrants in the Neotropics. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service and World Wildlife Fund, Washington D.C.
  26. Ridgely, R. S. 2002. Distribution maps of South American birds. Unpublished.
  27. Ridgely, R. S. and J. A. Gwynne, Jr. 1989. A Guide to the Birds of Panama. 2nd edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, USA.
  28. Ridgely, R. S. and P. J. Greenfield. 2001. The birds of Ecuador: Status, distribution, and taxonomy. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA.
  29. Ringelman, J. K., J. R. Longcore, and R. B. Owen, Jr. 1982. Nest and brood attentiveness in female Black Ducks. Condor 84:110-116.
  30. Root, T. 1988. Atlas of wintering North American birds: An analysis of Christmas Bird Count data. University of Chicago Press. 336 pp.
  31. Sibley, D. A. 2000a. The Sibley guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  32. Stiles, F. G. and A. F. Skutch. 1989. A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, USA. 511 pp.
  33. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  34. Zook, J. L. 2002. Distribution maps of the birds of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Unpublished.