Here’s a species of dabbling duck that always makes me smile whenever I see them, the Northern Shoveler.
I’ve been lucky to have spotted a few at the Pea Island NWR In Rodanthe NC over the past couple of days.
This pair was hanging near the shore of the North Pond with a juvenile White Ibis.
Aren’t they cool looking?

Northern Shovelers are omnivores with a preference to dine on plants, duck weed, and algae; yet they’re also fond of eating aquatic insects, mollusks and even crustaceans.
Their distinctive spoon shaped bill is adapted for sifting through large amounts of muddy water to find a meal. Even their tongues are highly specialized with extensive covering of comb-like teeth called lamellae, which help filter it’s food items from the water.

When foraging, the Northern Shoveler tilts its head from side to side, water is drawn in at the tip of the bill, filtered through the lamellae to pick up any food particulate and then expelled at the base. They are voracious eaters and are frequently seen swimming with their heads underwater as they hunt for a meal in the mud.

The Northern Shoveler is a wintertime visitor to North Carolina. Look for them in freshwater & brackish ponds, shallow lakes and marshes paddling around with flocks of other dabblers such as Gadwalls, Mallards and Black Ducks.
They are particularly common in our eastern counties from September through April so there is still plenty of time for you to see them too!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds