This is Bird Note. If you've ever seen the gargantuan bill of a northern shoveler,

you know exactly how this dabbling duck got its name. Both males and females bear the

unmistakable trowel-shaped bill, but they differ in plumage.

Females and non-breeding males are a modeled beige color.

But during the breeding season, male shovelers sport a bright white breast, reddish-brown flanks,

and an emerald green head that can rival any mallards.

Breeding pears mate for life.

In North America, they raised their young from Alaska to northern portions of the lower 48

before flying to their wintering grounds

as far south as Hawaii, Central America, and the Caribbean.

When they take off, you may get a glimpse of the male sky-blue shoulder pads that are only

visible in flight.

Northern shovelers are social birds that often forage together in large flocks.

Look for them in shallow ponds where they swim in synchronized circles,

stirring up tasty invertebrates and crustaceans from the muck with their iconic spatula of a beak.

For bird note, I'm Ariana Rimmel.

This episode is dedicated to Bob Goodale,

whose lifelong love for birds and nature continues to inspire.