This 51–53 cm long duck is non-migratory, but undertakes some local seasonal movements. It is gregarious when not breeding, and may then form large flocks.
This species has a large spatulate bill. Adults have speckled grey-brown plumage and dull orange legs. As with many southern hemisphere ducks, the sexes appear similar, but the male has a paler head than the female, a pale blue forewing separated from the green speculum by a white border, and yellow eyes. The female's forewing is grey.
Cape shoveler can only be confused with a vagrant female northern shoveler, but is much darker and stockier than that species.[2]
It is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation, and feeds by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging its bill from side to side to strain food from the water.[2] This bird also eats molluscs and insects in the nesting season. The nest is a shallow depression on the ground, lined with plant material and down, and usually close to water.
This is a fairly quiet species. The male has rarr and cawick calls, whereas the female has a quack.[2]
^ abcBirdLife International (2016). "Spatula smithii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22680236A92852018. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680236A92852018.en. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
^ abcdWildfowl an Identification Guide to the Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World. London: A & C Black. 2010. pp. 233–234. ISBN978-1408138953.
^Hartert, Ernst (1891). Katalog der Vogelsammlung im Museum der Senckenbergischen naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Frankfurt-am-Main (in German). Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany: Knauer. p. 231, note.
^Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 479.
^Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 358. ISBN978-1-4081-2501-4.
Sinclair, Ian, Hockey, Phil, and Tarboton, Warwick SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (Struik 2002) ISBN1-86872-721-1
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spatula smithii.
Wikispecies has information related to Anas smithii.
Cape Shoveler -Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
December 12, 2023
cape, shoveler, cape, shoveller, spatula, smithii, species, dabbling, duck, genus, spatula, resident, south, africa, uncommon, further, north, namibia, botswana, zimbabwe, southern, angola, lesotho, mozambique, zambia, malefemaleconservation, statusleast, conc. The Cape shoveler or Cape shoveller Spatula smithii is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Spatula It is resident in South Africa and uncommon further north in Namibia Botswana Zimbabwe southern Angola Lesotho Mozambique and Zambia 1 2 Cape shovelerMaleFemaleConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder AnseriformesFamily AnatidaeGenus SpatulaSpecies S smithiiBinomial nameSpatula smithiiHartert 1891SynonymsAnas smithii Hartert 1891 This 51 53 cm long duck is non migratory but undertakes some local seasonal movements It is gregarious when not breeding and may then form large flocks This species has a large spatulate bill Adults have speckled grey brown plumage and dull orange legs As with many southern hemisphere ducks the sexes appear similar but the male has a paler head than the female a pale blue forewing separated from the green speculum by a white border and yellow eyes The female s forewing is grey Cape shoveler can only be confused with a vagrant female northern shoveler but is much darker and stockier than that species 2 It is a bird of open wetlands such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation and feeds by dabbling for plant food often by swinging its bill from side to side to strain food from the water 2 This bird also eats molluscs and insects in the nesting season The nest is a shallow depression on the ground lined with plant material and down and usually close to water This is a fairly quiet species The male has rarr and cawick calls whereas the female has a quack 2 The Cape shoveler was described by the German ornithologist Ernst Hartert in 1891 under the present binomial name Spatula smithii 3 4 The specific epithet commemorates the Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith 5 The IUCN Red List sets the conservation status of the Cape shoveler as least concern 1 Footnotes edit a b c BirdLife International 2016 Spatula smithii IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T22680236A92852018 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22680236A92852018 en Retrieved 25 September 2021 a b c d Wildfowl an Identification Guide to the Ducks Geese and Swans of the World London A amp C Black 2010 pp 233 234 ISBN 978 1408138953 Hartert Ernst 1891 Katalog der Vogelsammlung im Museum der Senckenbergischen naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Frankfurt am Main in German Frankfurt am Main Germany Knauer p 231 note Mayr Ernst Cottrell G William eds 1979 Check list of Birds of the World Vol 1 2nd ed Cambridge Massachusetts Museum of Comparative Zoology p 479 Jobling James A 2010 The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names London Christopher Helm p 358 ISBN 978 1 4081 2501 4 References editMadge amp Burn Wildfowl ISBN 0 7470 2201 1 Sinclair Ian Hockey Phil and Tarboton Warwick SASOL Birds of Southern Africa Struik 2002 ISBN 1 86872 721 1External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spatula smithii nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Anas smithii Cape Shoveler Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cape shoveler amp oldid 1121214670, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
