Anas clypeata - Northern Shoveler
Feather characters. Barbules are short (0.73-0.77 mm) and barbules contain lightly stippled pigment. Triangular nodes are located on distal end, covering less than 30% of the total barbule length. On proximal end, nodal structures are visible but undeveloped and hardly swollen, and thus too small to qualify as nodes (16-18 per mm). An abrupt increase in size of nodes is seen distally along the barbules. In a very few cases triangular nodes may not be present. Villi are absent and internodes are occasionally kinked. Prongs are mostly located on distal end of barbules, on both sides of the pennulum. Their length varies but the longest prongs may reach a length between half and the entire length of the adjacent internode. Occasionally minute prongs may be found proximal to triangular nodes.
Field characters. Size 51 cm. Weight: male 636 g (-908), female 590 g (-726) (Dunning, 1993). Differs from all other ducks by very large, spatulate bill. Upperparts of male largely black and white, with shining green head, chestnut belly and flanks, white breast and pale blue fore-wing. In flight or in the water conspicuous pattern of black-white-black-white-black. Female brownish like female Mallard, but with less distinct head pattern. Juvenile strongly resembles female but slightly darker and with spotted underparts. Male in eclipse plumage has orange-like flanks and yellow eyes. Swims with fore-parts deeply sunk and heavy bill inclined downwards. In flight the disproportionate size of bill make the wings appear set far back. Nests in soggy meadows, marshes, and sometimes in corn fields.
Voice. In flight a low, guttural 'took, took'; a creaking 'quack' is female's note.
Distribution. Locally fairly common breeding bird. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Shallow, muddy waters, reedy lakes and pools of marshes and grassland fringed with ample emergent vegetation.
Food. Omnivorous, using a variety of feeding methods, ranging from surface-feeding to diving. During surface-feeding it swims with neck stretched forward, sweeping the water surface with side-to-side movements of the bill. Specialised filter-feeder, taking small crustaceans, molluscs, insects and larvae and seeds of aquatic plants.