SHOVELLER 15 



Whether or not the Shoveller ever breeds in Africa is still a disputed point. Spatz (Koenig, 1893) 

 asserts that he found it nesting on Curiat Island off the east coast of Tunis, and Tristram (Baldamus, 

 1858, p. 134, footnote) received eggs taken in June in Algeria. Shelley (1872) speaks of ., . 

 the species as resident in Egypt and von Heuglin (1873) says the same for Abyssinia. It 

 is true that specimens are seen quite frequently as late as May in the Nile basin, but these are probably 

 non-breeders. At any rate the published evidence of its breeding in northeastern Africa is insufficient. 

 In Cyprus a few are known to nest (Bucknill, 1911). 



In Asia this species breeds all over the Khirgis steppes (Nazarow, 1887; Suschkin, 1914) and 

 throughout the Caucasus (Radde, 1884), as well as in northwestern Persia, along the southwestern 

 Caspian (Radde, 1886). In the eastern part of Transcaspia, especially about Merv, it . . 

 is an abundant nester (Radde and Walter, 1889; Zarudny, 1889-90). According to 

 Lansdell (1885) and Menzbier (1888) it breeds all over Turkestan, excepting the desert regions of the 

 southwest, and it probably nests also in Pamir (Severtzoff, 1883). Possibly some may nest in Kash- 

 mir, where it is said to occur all summer (Adams, fide Hume and Marshall, 1879), for it is known to 

 breed about Yarkand and in southern Kashgaria (Scully, fide Hume and Marshall, 1879; Koslow, 

 1899). In western Siberia it breeds north practically to the Arctic coast (Buturlin, 1908). Suschkin 

 (1913) states that it does so in southwestern Siberia and in the Russian Altai. P. and J. Zalesski 

 (1915) have recorded it from Tomsk, and Ushakov (1913) says it breeds everywhere in the Tobolsk 

 Government. Finsch (1877) claims to have met with it in the Ob delta at Obdorsk in July. Farther 

 east a specimen has been taken in the Sajan Mountains in late May (A. T. von Middendorff, 1853) 

 and most likely the species breeds throughout the mountainous regions of Mongolia. Prjevalski 

 (1878) found it in the Hoang-ho valley in late July and Radde (1863) says it breeds on the Tarei-nor. 

 Seebohm (1879) found it rare on the Jenesei, and Popham (1898) has recorded it from Jeneseisk. 

 According to Palmen the breeding range in this region extends to 66° 30' north latitude. Still farther 

 east the Shoveller nests in Transbaikalia (Dybowski, fide Taczanowski, 1893) and along the Lena and 

 Wiljui (Maak, 1859) as well as on the Adytsha and the Jana, north to 67° 30' north latitude (Pal- 

 men, 1887; von Bunge and von Toll, 1887). The northeasternmost record is of a specimen taken at 

 Nijni Kolymsk early in June (Thayer and Bangs, 1914). J. A. Allen (1905) records it not common 

 at Gichiga, but in Kamchatka it is abundant in May, though it has never been found actually breed- 

 ing there (Stejneger, 1885; Bianchi, 1909a). On Bering Island it is a rare bird, except in early April. It 

 may breed there (Stejneger, 1885; Bianchi, 1909a; Hartert, 1920). Southward the species is common 

 along the middle and lower Amur and Ussuri and a few nest near Lake Hanka (von Sehrenck, 1859; 

 Maak, 1859; Prjevalski, 1878; Dybowski, fide Taczanowski, 1893). A specimen has been taken near 

 Boatassin, Saghalin, early in June (Hesse, 1915). It might be added here that there is one exceptional 

 case of the Shoveller breeding in Ceylon (Layard, fide Legge, 1880). 



Winter Range 



In the New World the Shoveller winters on the Pacific coast north as far as Puget Sound, where it is 

 rather common (W. L. Dawson and Bowles, 1909; Rathbun, 1915; and others), but it is very rare in 

 Oregon, there being only a few records (Woodcock, 1902; Eliot et al., Bird-lore, vol. 23, p. 31, 1921). 

 In California, on the other hand, it is abundant during the winter (Grinnell, Bryant and Storer, 

 1918). Many pass over to the Hawaiian Islands (Henshaw, 1902; R. C. L. Perkins, 1903), Laysan 

 (Schauinsland, 1899) and Clipperton Island (Beck, 1907). Others spend the cold season in southern 

 Arizona (Swarth, 1914) and New Mexico (Cooke, 1906), as well as in Texas, especially on the coast 

 (J. C. Merrill, 1878; Strecker, 1912; Griscom, 1920). A great many winter in Louisiana (Beyer, 

 Allison and Kopman, 1907; and others) and a few are found in this season in the Mississippi Valley, 

 in Arkansas (Howell, 1911) and north rarely to southern Illinois (Cooke, 1906; Ferry, 1907). In 

 Florida it is common in places (Maynard, 1882; Scott, 1892; Cory, 1896; etc.) and the range extends 

 northward on the coast through South Carolina (Wayne, 1910) and North Carolina (T. G. Pearson, 



