27-5-2026 BIOPARC, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The northern shoveler (/ˈʃʌvələr/; Spatula clypeata), known simply in Britain as the shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and across the Palearctic and across most of North America, wintering in southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is a rare vagrant to Australia. In North America, it breeds along the southern edge of Hudson Bay and west of this body of water, and as far south as the Great Lakes west to Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon.

The northern shoveler is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The conservation status of this bird is Least Concern.

8-10-2025 EL HONDO, ALICANTE - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The Northern Shoveler, known in Britain simply as the shoveler, is a distinctive species with a broad, spatulate bill that sets it apart from other ducks. The male, or drake, in breeding plumage boasts an iridescent dark green head, a white chest, and chestnut flanks and belly. When in flight, one can observe the pale blue feathers on the forewing, edged with white and set against a green speculum. The female is more subdued in color, mottled brown akin to other dabblers, but her large, gray bill with orange hints is a clear identifier.

To identify the Northern Shoveler, look for the following characteristics:

Large, spatulate bill

Males: Iridescent dark green head, white chest, chestnut belly and flanks

Females: Mottled brown, similar to a female mallard but with a distinctive bill

In flight: Pale blue forewing feathers with a white border and green speculum

Size: Length of 48 cm (19 in), wingspan of 76 cm (30 in), and weight of 600 g (1.3 lb)

The Northern Shoveler frequents open wetlands such as wet grasslands or marshes with emergent vegetation. They prefer mud-bottomed marshes rich in invertebrate life.

This species has a broad breeding range across northern Europe, the Palearctic, and most of North America. It winters in southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is a rare vagrant to Australia.

Northern Shovelers are known for their unique foraging behavior, swimming rapidly in circles to create a funnel effect that brings food to the surface. They feed by dabbling for plant food and straining aquatic invertebrates from the water with their specialized bills. During the breeding season, males are territorial and perform elaborate courtship displays. They are fairly quiet, with males emitting a clunking call and females quacking like a mallard.

The male Northern Shoveler produces a clunking call, while the female's vocalization resembles a quack similar to that of a mallard.

Shovelers prefer to nest in grassy areas away from open water. The nest is a shallow depression lined with plant material and down, where the female typically lays about nine eggs. Males defend their territory and mates vigorously during the breeding season.

The diet consists primarily of plant food and aquatic invertebrates. The shoveler's bill is equipped with lamellae, which allow it to efficiently sift food from the water.

27-11-2024 MARJAL DE MOROS PUCOL, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) is a widespread species of duck unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. In Britain, it is known simply as the shoveler. One part of its scientific name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula"; the other part is derived from the Latin clypeata and can be translated as "shield-bearing".

During the breeding season, the male of this species has an iridescent dark green head, white breast, and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male resembles the female. The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray-tinged with orange on the cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is gray.

Northern shovelers breed in wide areas across Eurasia, western North America, and the Great Lakes region of the United States. They are strongly migratory and winter in southern Europe, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, the Caribbean, northern South America, the Malay Archipelago, Japan, and other areas. In North America, they winter south of a line from Washington to Idaho, from New Mexico east to Kentucky, and along the Eastern Seaboard as far north as Massachusetts. Northern shovelers are birds of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation. Preferred feeding areas include lakes, estuaries, coastal shorelines, salt marshes, flooded fields, and agricultural ponds.

Northern shovelers are social ducks that live in small flocks and coexist peacefully with many other species. They feed during the day by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging their bill from side to side and using the bill to strain food from the water. Their wide-flat bill is equipped with well-developed lamellae; these are small, comb-like structures on the edge of the bill that act like sieves, allowing the birds to skim crustaceans and plankton from the water's surface. This adaptation gives them an advantage over other puddle ducks, with which they do not have to compete for food resources during most of the year. Thus, mud-bottomed marshes rich in invertebrate life are their habitat of choice. During the midday heat, the birds usually rest on land near the water. Northern shovelers are fairly quiet and communicate with each other only in certain situations; males have a low clunking call, whereas females have a light Mallard-like quack.

14-11-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The northern shoveler (/ˈʃʌvələr/; Spatula clypeata), known simply in Britain as the shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and across the Palearctic and across most of North America, wintering in southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is a rare vagrant to Australia. In North America, it breeds along the southern edge of Hudson Bay and west of this body of water, and as far south as the Great Lakes west to Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon.

The northern shoveler is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The conservation status of this bird is Least Concern.

This species is unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. The breeding drake has an iridescent dark green head, white breast and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake resembles the female.

The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray tinged with orange on cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is gray.

They are 48 cm (19 in) long and have a wingspan of 76 cm (30 in) with a weight of 600 g (1.3 lb).

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/558438-Spatula-clypeata

26-10-2022 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/558438-Spatula-clypeata

2-3-2022 TABLAS DE DAIMIEL, LA MANCHA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/558438-Spatula-clypeata

1-3-2022 PERALVILLO, LA MANCHA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/558438-Spatula-clypeata

28-2-2022 TABLAS DE DAIMIEL, LA MANCHA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/558438-Spatula-clypeata

9-2-2022 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/558438-Spatula-clypeata

26-1-2022 MOROS MARJAL. VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/558438-Spatula-clypeata

9-12-2021 CITY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) is a widespread species of duck unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. In Britain, it is known simply as the shoveler. One part of its scientific name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula"; the other part is derived from the Latin clypeata and can be translated as "shield-bearing".

During the breeding season, the male of this species has an iridescent dark green head, white breast, and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male resembles the female. The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray-tinged with orange on the cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is gray.

Northern shovelers breed in wide areas across Eurasia, western North America, and the Great Lakes region of the United States. They are strongly migratory and winter in southern Europe, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, the Caribbean, northern South America, the Malay Archipelago, Japan, and other areas. In North America, they winter south of a line from Washington to Idaho, from New Mexico east to Kentucky, and along the Eastern Seaboard as far north as Massachusetts. Northern shovelers are birds of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation. Preferred feeding areas include lakes, estuaries, coastal shorelines, salt marshes, flooded fields, and agricultural ponds.

Northern shovelers are social ducks that live in small flocks and coexist peacefully with many other species. They feed during the day by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging their bill from side to side and using the bill to strain food from the water. Their wide-flat bill is equipped with well-developed lamellae; these are small, comb-like structures on the edge of the bill that act like sieves, allowing the birds to skim crustaceans and plankton from the water's surface. This adaptation gives them an advantage over other puddle ducks, with which they do not have to compete for food resources during most of the year. Thus, mud-bottomed marshes rich in invertebrate life are their habitat of choice. During the midday heat, the birds usually rest on land near the water. Northern shovelers are fairly quiet and communicate with each other only in certain situations; males have a low clunking call, whereas females have a light Mallard-like quack.

24-5-2021 TABLAS DE DAIMIEL, LA MANCHA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The northern shoveler (/ˈʃʌvələr/; Spatula clypeata), often known simply as the shoveler where other related species do not occur, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and throughout the Palearctic and across most of North America, and winters in southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is a rare vagrant to Australia. In North America, it breeds along the southern edge of Hudson Bay and west of this body of water, and as far south as the Great Lakes west to Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon.

The northern shoveler is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The conservation status of this bird is least concern.

This species is unmistakable in the Northern Hemisphere due to its large, spatulated bill. The breeding drake has an iridescent, dark green head, though less intensely iridescent than a drake mallard's head, and appears black at distance or in poor light, white breast, and chestnut belly and flanks, and a black or very dark grey bill. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early autumn, the male has a white crescent on each side of the face. In nonbreeding eclipse plumage, the drake resembles the female, except retains the pale blue forewing.

The female is a dull, mottled brown like other dabbling ducks, with a plumage similar to that of a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long,broad bill, which is grey tinged with orange on the cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is grey.

They are 44–52 cm (17.3–20.5 in) long and have a wingspan of 70–84 cm (27.6–33.1 in) with a weight of 500–800 g (1.1–1.8 lb), rarely only 300 g, or as much as 1,000 g.[14] The legs of both sexes are bright orange-red.

Groups of northern shovelers swim rapidly in circles to collect food from the surface by creating a funnel effect.

Northern shovelers feed by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging their bills from side to side and using the bill to strain food from the water. They use their highly specialised bills (from which their name is derived) to forage for aquatic invertebrates. Their wide, flat bill is equipped with well-developed lamellae – small, comb-like structures on the edge of the bill that act like sieves, allowing the birds to skim crustaceans and plankton from the surface of the water. This adaptation, which is more specialised in shovelers, gives them an advantage over other dabbling ducks, with which they do not have to compete for food resources for most of the year. As a result, mud-bottomed marshes rich in invertebrates are their habitat of choice.

The shoveler prefers to nest in grassy areas away from open water. The nest is a shallow depression in the ground, lined with vegetation and down. Hens typically lay about nine eggs. The eggs measure 4.6–5.7 cm (1.8–2.2 in) in length and 3.3–3.9 cm (1.3–1.5 in) in width. Drakes are very territorial during the breeding season and defend their territory and mates from competing males. Drakes also engage in elaborate courtship displays, both on the water and in the air; not uncommonly, a dozen or more males maypursue a single hen. Despite their stocky appearance, shovelers are nimble fliers.

This is a fairly quiet species. The male has a clunking call, whereas the female has a mallard-like quack.

This is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grasslands or marshes with some emergent vegetation. It breeds in large areas of Eurasia, western North America, and the Great Lakes region of the United States.

This bird winters in western and southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean, northern South America, the Malay Archipelago, Japan and other areas. Those wintering in the Indian subcontinent make the taxing journey over the Himalayas, often taking a break in wetlands just south of the Himalayas before continuing further south to warmer regions. In North America, it winters south of a line from Washington to Idaho and from New Mexico east to Kentucky, also along the Eastern Seaboard as far north as Massachusetts. In Great Britain, around 1,300-1,450 pairs breed, but it is better known as a winter visitor; it is more common in southern and eastern England, especially around the Ouse Washes, the Humber, and the North Kent Marshes, and in much smaller numbers in Scotland and western parts of England. It breeds across most of Ireland, but the population there is very difficult to assess. Surveys in 2017 and 2018 suggest that it is more common and widespread in Ireland than previously thought. In winter, British and Irish breeding birds may move south, and are joined or replaced by an influx of continental and Icelandic birds from further north.

It is strongly migratory and mostly winters further south than its breeding range. It has occasionally been reported as a vagrant as far south as Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It is less gregarious than some dabbling ducks outside the breeding season and tends to form only small flocks. Among North American duck species, the northern shoveler is second only to the mallard and blue-winged teal in overall abundance. Their populations have been healthy since the 1960s, and have increased in recent years to more than 5 million birds (2015), most likely due to favourable breeding, migratory, and wintering habitat conditions.

24-3-2021 EL FONDO, ALICANTE - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The northern shoveler (/ˈʃʌvələr/; Spatula clypeata), often known simply as the shoveler where other related species do not occur, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and throughout the Palearctic and across most of North America, and winters in southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is a rare vagrant to Australia. In North America, it breeds along the southern edge of Hudson Bay and west of this body of water, and as far south as the Great Lakes west to Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon.

The northern shoveler is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The conservation status of this bird is least concern.

This species is unmistakable in the Northern Hemisphere due to its large, spatulated bill. The breeding drake has an iridescent, dark green head, though less intensely iridescent than a drake mallard's head, and appears black at distance or in poor light, white breast, and chestnut belly and flanks, and a black or very dark grey bill. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early autumn, the male has a white crescent on each side of the face. In nonbreeding eclipse plumage, the drake resembles the female, except retains the pale blue forewing.

The female is a dull, mottled brown like other dabbling ducks, with a plumage similar to that of a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long,broad bill, which is grey tinged with orange on the cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is grey.

They are 44–52 cm (17.3–20.5 in) long and have a wingspan of 70–84 cm (27.6–33.1 in) with a weight of 500–800 g (1.1–1.8 lb), rarely only 300 g, or as much as 1,000 g.[14] The legs of both sexes are bright orange-red.

Vagrant northern shovelers in Australia can be very hard to distinguish from the local Australasian shoveler, particularly if in eclipse plumage when the distinctive white breast is absent.

Groups of northern shovelers swim rapidly in circles to collect food from the surface by creating a funnel effect.

Northern shovelers feed by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging their bills from side to side and using the bill to strain food from the water. They use their highly specialised bills (from which their name is derived) to forage for aquatic invertebrates. Their wide, flat bill is equipped with well-developed lamellae – small, comb-like structures on the edge of the bill that act like sieves, allowing the birds to skim crustaceans and plankton from the surface of the water. This adaptation, which is more specialised in shovelers, gives them an advantage over other dabbling ducks, with which they do not have to compete for food resources for most of the year. As a result, mud-bottomed marshes rich in invertebrates are their habitat of choice.

The shoveler prefers to nest in grassy areas away from open water. The nest is a shallow depression in the ground, lined with vegetation and down. Hens typically lay about nine eggs. The eggs measure 4.6–5.7 cm (1.8–2.2 in) in length and 3.3–3.9 cm (1.3–1.5 in) in width. Drakes are very territorial during the breeding season and defend their territory and mates from competing males. Drakes also engage in elaborate courtship displays, both on the water and in the air; not uncommonly, a dozen or more males maypursue a single hen. Despite their stocky appearance, shovelers are nimble fliers.

This is a fairly quiet species. The male has a clunking call, whereas the female has a mallard-like quack.

This is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grasslands or marshes with some emergent vegetation. It breeds in large areas of Eurasia, western North America, and the Great Lakes region of the United States.

This bird winters in western and southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean, northern South America, the Malay Archipelago, Japan and other areas. Those wintering in the Indian subcontinent make the taxing journey over the Himalayas, often taking a break in wetlands just south of the Himalayas before continuing further south to warmer regions. In North America, it winters south of a line from Washington to Idaho and from New Mexico east to Kentucky, also along the Eastern Seaboard as far north as Massachusetts. In Great Britain, around 1,300-1,450 pairs breed, but it is better known as a winter visitor; it is more common in southern and eastern England, especially around the Ouse Washes, the Humber, and the North Kent Marshes, and in much smaller numbers in Scotland and western parts of England. It breeds across most of Ireland, but the population there is very difficult to assess. Surveys in 2017 and 2018 suggest that it is more common and widespread in Ireland than previously thought. In winter, British and Irish breeding birds may move south, and are joined or replaced by an influx of continental and Icelandic birds from further north.

It is strongly migratory and mostly winters further south than its breeding range. It has occasionally been reported as a vagrant as far south as Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It is less gregarious than some dabbling ducks outside the breeding season and tends to form only small flocks. Among North American duck species, the northern shoveler is second only to the mallard and blue-winged teal in overall abundance. Their populations have been healthy since the 1960s, and have increased in recent years to more than 5 million birds (2015), most likely due to favourable breeding, migratory, and wintering habitat conditions.

5-12-2018 PUCOL, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The Northern Shoveler, known in Britain simply as the shoveler, is a distinctive species with a broad, spatulate bill that sets it apart from other ducks. The male, or drake, in breeding plumage boasts an iridescent dark green head, a white chest, and chestnut flanks and belly. When in flight, one can observe the pale blue feathers on the forewing, edged with white and set against a green speculum. The female is more subdued in color, mottled brown akin to other dabblers, but her large, gray bill with orange hints is a clear identifier.

This species has a broad breeding range across northern Europe, the Palearctic, and most of North America. It winters in southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is a rare vagrant to Australia.

Northern Shovelers are known for their unique foraging behavior, swimming rapidly in circles to create a funnel effect that brings food to the surface. They feed by dabbling for plant food and straining aquatic invertebrates from the water with their specialized bills. During the breeding season, males are territorial and perform elaborate courtship displays. They are fairly quiet, with males emitting a clunking call and females quacking like a mallard.

The male Northern Shoveler produces a clunking call, while the female's vocalization resembles a quack similar to that of a mallard.

Shovelers prefer to nest in grassy areas away from open water. The nest is a shallow depression lined with plant material and down, where the female typically lays about nine eggs. Males defend their territory and mates vigorously during the breeding season.

The Northern Shoveler can be confused with other dabbling ducks, but its large, spatulate bill is a key distinguishing feature.

The diet consists primarily of plant food and aquatic invertebrates. The shoveler's bill is equipped with lamellae, which allow it to efficiently sift food from the water.

The Northern Shoveler is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a healthy and increasing population due to favorable habitat conditions.

18-9-2018 TABLAS DE DAIMIEL, LA MANCHA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) is a widespread species of duck unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. In Britain, it is known simply as the shoveler. One part of its scientific name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula"; the other part is derived from the Latin clypeata and can be translated as "shield-bearing".

During the breeding season, the male of this species has an iridescent dark green head, white breast, and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male resembles the female. The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray-tinged with orange on the cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is gray.

23-3-2016 MARJAL DEL MORO, SAGUNTO - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) is a widespread species of duck unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. In Britain, it is known simply as the shoveler. One part of its scientific name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula"; the other part is derived from the Latin clypeata and can be translated as "shield-bearing".

During the breeding season, the male of this species has an iridescent dark green head, white breast, and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male resembles the female. The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray-tinged with orange on the cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is gray.

Northern shovelers breed in wide areas across Eurasia, western North America, and the Great Lakes region of the United States. They are strongly migratory and winter in southern Europe, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, the Caribbean, northern South America, the Malay Archipelago, Japan, and other areas. In North America, they winter south of a line from Washington to Idaho, from New Mexico east to Kentucky, and along the Eastern Seaboard as far north as Massachusetts. Northern shovelers are birds of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation. Preferred feeding areas include lakes, estuaries, coastal shorelines, salt marshes, flooded fields, and agricultural ponds.

Northern shovelers are social ducks that live in small flocks and coexist peacefully with many other species. They feed during the day by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging their bill from side to side and using the bill to strain food from the water. Their wide-flat bill is equipped with well-developed lamellae; these are small, comb-like structures on the edge of the bill that act like sieves, allowing the birds to skim crustaceans and plankton from the water's surface. This adaptation gives them an advantage over other puddle ducks, with which they do not have to compete for food resources during most of the year. Thus, mud-bottomed marshes rich in invertebrate life are their habitat of choice. During the midday heat, the birds usually rest on land near the water. Northern shovelers are fairly quiet and communicate with each other only in certain situations; males have a low clunking call, whereas females have a light Mallard-like quack.

28-1-2016 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) is a widespread species of duck unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. In Britain, it is known simply as the shoveler. One part of its scientific name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula"; the other part is derived from the Latin clypeata and can be translated as "shield-bearing".

During the breeding season, the male of this species has an iridescent dark green head, white breast, and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male resembles the female. The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray-tinged with orange on the cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is gray.

Northern shovelers breed in wide areas across Eurasia, western North America, and the Great Lakes region of the United States. They are strongly migratory and winter in southern Europe, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, the Caribbean, northern South America, the Malay Archipelago, Japan, and other areas. In North America, they winter south of a line from Washington to Idaho, from New Mexico east to Kentucky, and along the Eastern Seaboard as far north as Massachusetts. Northern shovelers are birds of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation. Preferred feeding areas include lakes, estuaries, coastal shorelines, salt marshes, flooded fields, and agricultural ponds.

Northern shovelers are social ducks that live in small flocks and coexist peacefully with many other species. They feed during the day by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging their bill from side to side and using the bill to strain food from the water. Their wide-flat bill is equipped with well-developed lamellae; these are small, comb-like structures on the edge of the bill that act like sieves, allowing the birds to skim crustaceans and plankton from the water's surface. This adaptation gives them an advantage over other puddle ducks, with which they do not have to compete for food resources during most of the year. Thus, mud-bottomed marshes rich in invertebrate life are their habitat of choice. During the midday heat, the birds usually rest on land near the water. Northern shovelers are fairly quiet and communicate with each other only in certain situations; males have a low clunking call, whereas females have a light Mallard-like quack.

Northern shovelers are not considered globally threatened at present; however, their population is decreasing due to habitat loss, changes in climate, and nest predation.

According to the IUCN Red List, the total Northern shoveler population size is around 6,500,000-7,000,000 individuals which roughly equates to 4,300,000-4,700,000 mature individuals. The European population consists of 170,000-233,000 pairs, which equates to 340,000-466,000 mature individuals. Overall, currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.

Northern shovelers are serially monogamous and form pairs that last only during one breeding season. The birds breed from April to June and prefer to nest in grassy areas away from open water. Their nest is a shallow depression on the ground, lined with plant material and down. The drakes are very territorial during the breeding season and will defend their territory and partners from competing males. Drakes also engage in elaborate courtship behaviors, both on the water and in the air; it is not uncommon for a dozen or more males to pursue a single female. Females typically lay about 9 eggs and incubate them for about 25 days. The ducklings are precocial; they are born fully developed and begin to walk a few hours after hatching and follow their mother to the water. After 40 to 45 days, the young begin to fly and become independent from their parents.