Ducks & Geese

Northern Shoveler

Löffelente

Spatula clypeata

Ducks & Geese1 photoFirst seen: 6 September 2026

The Northern Shoveler is a widespread dabbling duck across the Northern Hemisphere. Its highly specialised broad bill strains small food from shallow water, often while the bird swims in tight groups or circles.

ID tip: The very broad spatulate bill identifies both sexes. Males combine a dark green head, white breast and chestnut flanks; females are mottled brown with an orange-edged bill.

First seen: 6 September 2026 · Ulcinj Salt Flats · 1 photo in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Ulcinj Salt Flats6 September 2026

Family: Ducks & Geese (Anatidae)
Length: 44–52 cm
Wingspan: 73–82 cm
Regional status: Passage migrant (Montenegro)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 8 September 2026
Habitat: Shallow marshes, flooded fields, ponds and lagoons rich in small aquatic life
Diet: Plankton, small crustaceans, aquatic insects and seeds filtered from the water

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Northern Shoveler

Places in my records

Selected photographs