Northern Shoveler
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Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Marshes, shallow lakes.
Diet: Plankton (filter-feeds with bill).
Best time to spot: Spatulate bill is the giveaway.
When to look
Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. More on the season in UK winter wildfowl.
How rare is it?
The Northern Shoveler sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Amber-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the middle level of concern in the UK.
Where to see it
Reserves where the Northern Shoveler is on the list:
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Blue-winged TealEpic · Shallow pools
- GarganeyRare · Shallow marshes (summer)
- Black-winged StiltRare · Shallow freshwater marshes
- Greylag GooseCommon · Lakes
- Common GoldeneyeUncommon · Lakes
- Common PochardUncommon · Reservoirs
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.
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