Shoveler

By

Daniel F. Heuer

 

 

Often one wonders how a certain creature came by its name.  On the other hand some names are just so fitting that they go unquestioned.  A perfect example of that is the Shoveler duck.  Both its common and its Latin name Spatula take into account the tremendous size of this duck’s bill.  The duck in fact uses its bill as if it were a shovel as it scoops up its food.  This duck can be found in most of the United States, although mostly a western bird.  The Shoveler duck is a speedy flier and has been clocked by automobiles at 53 miles per hour without the duck exerting itself, with speeds of 60 to 65 with a tail wind.  Its flight can be extremely acrobatic and dexterous, like that of the teal.  I have observed them in the wild and they are definitely a puddle duck.  They have centrally placed legs that facilitate walking.  The Shoveler duck usually feeds by skimming food from the surface of the water.  The oversized bill of the shoveler is a very efficient separating device.  It thoroughly enjoys walking about on the mud flats, cramming its bill down in the ooze in a search for food particles.  Although not as easy to find as its Mallard cousin, when I have seen them, there is no room for doubt that it is a duck fondly named “spoon bill”.