Shoveler
Reading edition
Length—19½" Weight—1½ lbs.
Eclipse Drake Hen
Shovelers, 'spoonbills' to many, are early migrants, moving out at the first frost. The largest numbers are in the Central and Pacific flyways.
The usual flight is steady and direct. When startled, the small flocks twist and turn in the air like teal.
Hen Drake
Drake
Drake Hen
Drake Hen
They are not highly regarded as table birds, because one third of the usual diet is animal matter.
Drakes call woh-woh and took-took; the hen's quack is feeble.
Typical Flock Pattern
