Facts about Northern Shoveler

1. 07

   In courtship displays, male Northern Shovelers produce a distinctive guttural sound called a burp that females use to evaluate mate quality during pair formation.

   Northern ShovelerMay 14sharebehaviorreproductionvocalization
2. 06

   Northern Shovelers breed across prairie pothole regions from Alberta to the Great Lakes, with populations declining approximately 2 percent annually between 1966 and 2019.

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3. 05

   A Northern Shoveler's 2-inch-long bill represents roughly 20 percent of the bird's total head length, making it disproportionately larger than any other dabbling duck species.

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4. 04

   Shallow freshwater marshes and prairie ponds across North America host Northern Shovelers during breeding season, where pairs nest in dense vegetation within 100 meters of water.

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5. 03

   During migration, Northern Shovelers can travel over 5,000 miles between Arctic breeding grounds and wintering areas in Central and South America.

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6. 02

   Male Northern Shovelers perform elaborate courtship displays involving synchronized head-bobbing and rapid wing-fluttering movements that can occur 20 to 30 times consecutively.

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7. 01

   The Northern Shoveler's spatulate bill contains around 110 tooth-like lamellae per side that filter food from water while feeding.

   Northern ShovelerMay 14shareanatomybiologymeasurement