Red Shoveler

About

A medium-sized shoveler with a distinctive spatula-shaped bill. Males are pale orange-brown with dark spots, grey-blue wing patch, and dark green speculum; females are mottled brown. Found across southern South America. Swims with bill tip in water, filtering zooplankton and seeds.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	42.0 cm	16.5 in
Weight	511.6 g	18.05 oz

Identification

Plumage

Males reddish-cinnamon with dense dark spotting; pale blue-gray head with white eye and dark streaks. Pale blue forewing and green speculum in flight. Broad spatulate bill. Females brown, mottled. South American.

Habitat & Range

Freshwater and brackish lakes, marshes, and seasonal lagoons in southern South America from Peru and Bolivia south through Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. Partially migratory; moves northward in winter.

🏖️ Coastal 🌿 Wetland

Geographic Range

Breeds in Iceland, Greenland, and Arctic Canada; winters along the coasts of northwestern Europe and the British Isles.

Diet & Feeding

Feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates in shallow water; diet shifts between plant matter and invertebrates seasonally.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Incubation: 25 days.

Clutch Size

5-10

Sound

Song

Male emits a low, grunting kuk note; female gives a quiet, rhythmic quacking series. Pairs are generally silent; soft contact calls heard at dusk on South American grassland ponds.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Family	Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)
Genus	Spatula
Species	Spatula platalea

Distribution

Red Shoveler has been recorded in 1 countries.

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Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇳🇴 Norway

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Red Shoveler eat?

Feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates in shallow water; diet shifts between plant matter and invertebrates seasonally.

Where does the Red Shoveler live?

Freshwater and brackish lakes, marshes, and seasonal lagoons in southern South America from Peru and Bolivia south through Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. Partially migratory; moves northward in winter.

Is the Red Shoveler endangered?

The Red Shoveler has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Red Shoveler nest?

Incubation: 25 days.

What does the Red Shoveler sound like?

Male emits a low, grunting kuk note; female gives a quiet, rhythmic quacking series. Pairs are generally silent; soft contact calls heard at dusk on South American grassland ponds.

How big is the Red Shoveler?

The Red Shoveler has a wingspan of 42.0 cm, weight of 511.6 g.

What order and family does the Red Shoveler belong to?

The Red Shoveler (Spatula platalea) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.