THE SHOVELLER DUCK. 



{Spatula clypeata.) 



The Shoveller or Spoonbill Duck is a 

 bird of wide distribution, inhabiting all 

 the continents of the globe and breeding 

 in the northern portions of both hemi- 

 spheres. It is a bird of remarkable indi- 

 viduality. It belongs to the pond and 

 river ducks, all of which group are more 

 abundant about fresh water than along 

 the sea coast. On this continent it re- 

 tires during the months of May and 

 June to the lakes and marshes, chiefly 

 those of the interior, where it builds its 

 nest and rears its young. 



It is a common summer resiclent of 

 Minnesota and the Dakotas, thence it 

 ranges northward through Manitoba, As- 

 siniboia and Alberta, Canada. Formerly 

 it was a common inhabitant of the Brit- 

 ish Isles, in the fen districts of Norfolk, 

 Scotland and Ireland, but there it is grad- 

 ually becoming scarcer. During their 

 semi-annual passage through Illinois 

 small flocks of Shovellers are frequently 

 met with on the Illinois and Kankakee 

 Rivers and on Lake Calumet. Usually 

 they arrive from the South in March 

 and by April the majority have paired, 

 at which time they usually move north- 

 ward, and the northern tier of states, 

 with few exceptions, is the southern limit 

 of their breeding range. In September 

 and October its southern migration takes 

 place and it flies to its winter home in 

 the southern states, although in mild sea- 

 sons a few may winter further north. 

 This Duck is not infrequently met with 

 in Cuba and South America during the 

 months of December and January. 



Though nearly cosmopolitan in its 

 range, the Shoveller lacks the popularity 

 which many of our ducks possess. 

 Sportsmen do not look upon it with the 

 same pride that they feel for a "bag" of 

 canvasbacks, or teal ; yet the flesh of the 

 Spoonbill is considered delicious by some 



epicures, who are extremely fond of 

 game. 



The drake is a handsome bird, with 

 head and neck dark glossy green and a 

 yellow iris. The bill is black, and the 

 white of the breast gradually shades into 

 chestnut on the belly. The tail is short 

 and pointed. The wing coverts are blue 

 and the speculum is green, bordered by 

 white. The feet are bright orange or 

 Vermillion in color. The female has col- 

 ors more or less characteristic of other 

 species of other ducks of the same sex, 

 especially the mallard. This is pale 

 brown or brownish, mottled and streaked 

 v/ith dark brown and black. On the 

 under part the markings are more in 

 the form of spots and specks, while the 

 coloring of the eyes, wings and feet are 

 not unlike those of the male. The bill is 

 lighter, being brown, with orange on the 

 sides. 



An immature mounted specimen in my 

 collection is speckled and mottled about 

 the head, neck and breast, with colors 

 intermediate between the adult of both 

 sexes. In beauty it is almost equal -to 

 a fully plumaged drake. 



The bill of this bird is a remarkable 

 organ. It broadens at the ends until 

 it exceeds twice the width of the base 

 and assumes a stiape not unlike an ordi- 

 nary spoon. Such a peculiarity readily 

 distinguishes the Shoveller from all other 

 species of the duck tribe. 



When disturbed or alarmed, the drake 

 utters a peculiar noise which might be 

 compared to the sound produced by a 

 person when repeating the word "duck" 

 several times without separating the 

 jaws. 



A female's note bears a resemblance 

 to that of the mallard, an oft repeated 

 "quack." 



Gerard Alan Abbott. 



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