Northern Shoveler Duck Feeding скачать в хорошем качестве

Northern Shoveler Duck Feeding

The northern shoveler is one of the most distinctive dabbling ducks in North America, instantly recognizable by its oversized, spoon‑shaped bill. This specialized bill is lined with comb‑like lamellae that allow the bird to filter tiny invertebrates and seeds from shallow water. Northern shovelers are common migrants and winter visitors throughout the Midwest, including Indiana, where they frequent marshes, flooded fields, and quiet wetlands. The species is known for its elegant, almost effortless feeding behavior—often spinning in small circles to stir up food. Despite their somewhat heavy appearance on the water, shovelers are agile fliers and migrate long distances between their Prairie Pothole breeding grounds and wintering areas across the southern U.S., Mexico, and Central America. A key feature of the northern shoveler is the striking difference in coloration between males and females. Breeding males display a dark green head, bright yellow eyes, a white chest, and rich chestnut flanks, making them one of the more colorful dabbling ducks. Females, by contrast, are mottled brown overall with an orange bill, providing excellent camouflage in nesting habitats. Both sexes share the species’ trademark broad bill, but the male’s is black while the female’s is orange. Outside the breeding season, males molt into a more subdued, mottled plumage, though the large bill still gives them away. Sources Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Northern Shoveler identification and plumage descriptions All About Bird Wikipedia – Species overview and general information Wikipedia Audubon Field Guide – Behavior and feeding ecology Audubon https://hoosierbird.com/ ‪@HoosierBird-ew1gd‬ #Bird Watching #Bird Calls #Bird Songs #Bird Photography #Nature Photography #Birding #Nature Photography