Northern Shoveler

Anas clypeata (Linnaeus, 1758)

		male female
2012-05-16 Lake Blizhnee, Kazachinsko-Lensky raion, Irkutskaya oblast. 2012-05-16 Lake Blizhnee, Kazachinsko-Lensky raion, Irkutskaya oblast.	© Pavel Zhovtyuk © Pavel Zhovtyuk

Distribution

Distributed from steppes to southern tundra, inclusively. Common in some areas, rare or absent in others (including highlands).

Biology

Common, locally abundant breeding migrant. Inhabits plain and mountain lakes and rivers with reed and reed mace beds, up to 1500 m in Altai and 2000 m in Tien Shan. Appears some later (some 10-15 days), than Mallards and Pintails, in mid- April or later. Migrates in small independent flocks, rarely with other ducks, and by mid-May migration is over. Nest is built under cover of grass or bush, in colonies with gulls and terns often for protection from predators, not far from water, on ground in shallow hollow lined with dry grass and down. Clutches of 7-11 eggs at end May – early July. Juveniles hatch early June – end July, and begin to fly from mid-July to mid-August. Loss of clutches after predation are often, therefore re-nesting is common. After females begin incubation, males gather in flocks up to a thousand and fly to moult (end May – July) in shallow steppe and desert lakes with reed-beds and other rich vegetation. Autumn migration begins in September and continues to mid-October.

References

В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Сибири". Москва-Екатеринбург, Изд-во "Кабинетный ученый", 2014