Shoveler
Anas clypeata
Spadalghob
The Shoveler is roughly the same size as the Wigeon but very different in appearance. The drake is a striking bird, showing a lot of white but with a blackish head, huge bill and obvious rust-coloured sides. The female is dull brownish. Both male and female have conspicuous light blue wing patches, obvious in flight. The Shoveler is a widespread but thinly distributed winter visitor, mainly to freshwater wetlands but also to some estuaries. Very few breed in Ireland.
Information extracted from the Appletree Press title
Appletree Deluxe Editions: Ireland's Flora & Fauna - Birds by Gordon D'Arcy.
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