144 ANSEKES SPATULA 



a. Tail-feathers white and fulvous with brown 



centres S. clypea ta, $ p. 144 



b. Tail-feathers dark brown with slightly paler 



edges only S. capensis, p. 145. 



- 624. Spatula clypeata. European Shoveller. 



Anas clypeata, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 200 (1766). 



Spatula clypeata, Dresser, B. Eur, vi, p. 497, pi. 425 (1873) ; Fairbridge, 



Ibis, 1893, p. 153 ; Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxvii, p. 306 (1895) ; 



Reichenow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 110 (1900). 



Description. Adult Male. Head and upper part of the neck 

 dark glossy green ; lower neck, outer scapulars, breast and sides of 

 the tail pure white ; mantle and middle of the back dark brown with 

 paler edges to the feathers ; rump and upper tail-coverts black, 

 glossed with green ; tail-feathers \vhite, freckled with brown, the 

 centre ones almost entirely brown ; primaries, primary coverts, tips 

 of the secondaries and inner webs of the scapulars brown, the 

 lesser and median coverts and the inner web of the outer scapulars 

 pale blue ; a median line of white divides the blue from the brown on 

 the scapulars, the last row of coverts tipped with white forming a 

 band along the front of the glossy metallic green speculum formed 

 by the outer web of the outer secondaries ; below the lower breast 

 and abdomen is rich chestnut somewhat freckled with black on the 

 latter, the under tail-coverts are black glossed with green. 



Iris orange-red ; bill lead colour ; feet reddish-orange. Length 

 21-5 ; wing 1OO ; tail 3-25 ; culmen 3*0 ; tarsus 1-3. 



The female is brown above, each feather with a pale reddish 

 border, the feathers of the back and rump, the scapulars and upper 

 tail-coverts with concentric buff or rufous bands ; wing-coverts grey 

 to greyish -brown, speculum duller than in the male, lower parts 

 brownish-buff, more rufous on the abdomen, speckled with dark 

 brown on the fore neck ; crescentic brown bars on the breast and 

 flanks less strongly marked on the lower abdomen and tail- coverts, 

 tail fulvous and white with brown centres to the feathers. Iris 

 brown ; bill and upper mandible dark brown, lower mandible dull 

 orange ; wing 8.75. Young males are like the female ; the male 

 assumes the female plumage except so far as the wings are con- 

 cerned after the breeding season. 



Distribution. The Shoveller is a bird of the Northern Hemis- 

 phere breeding throughout Europe, Northern Asia and North 



