SHOVELLEE 



131 



begin until late May. Remains through the summer in small numbers locally, 

 and has been found breeding at the following localities: Gorman Station, Los 

 Angeles County (A. K. Fisher, 1893a, p. 17); near Los Angeles (Willett, 1912a, 

 p. 24); Tulare Lake, Kings County (Goldman, 19086, p. 202); near Jamison, 

 Fresno County (IngersoU coll.) ; near Chowchilla, Merced County (Mailliard, 

 MS); near Hayward, Alameda County (Emerson, 1901, p. 116); and Wheeler 

 Island, Solano County (Fair, MS). 



The Shoveller, or Spoonbill Duck, the "Spoonie" of hunters, has 

 the widest distribution of any of the ducks so far treated, for it is 

 found throughout Europe and Asia and parts of Africa as well as 



■B^ 



Fig. 18. Bill from below. Natural size. 



Note broad, spoon-like end, whence the name ' ' Spoonbill, ' ' 

 and the cross-ridges or "strainers" on sides of mandibles. 



throughout North America and portions of Central America. In 

 North America the principal breeding home of the Shoveller is in the 

 prairie region of the interior from the northern United States to 

 Saskatchewan. Along the Pacific Coast this duck is an abundant 

 winter visitant from central British Columbia to Panama and parts 

 of Central America. Large numbers also winter in the Hawaiian 

 Islands. The spring migration into the Mackenzie region begins 

 about the second week in May, and October 16 to 18 are some dates 

 for the fall migration into Mexico (Cooke, 1906, p. 3,7). In Cali- 

 fornia it is common from the first of October till late in April, and 

 even until the first part of May, after other species of migratory ducks 

 have all gone north. 



