Shoveler Drake
As you will hear the call of the Shoveler is almost a "clucking" sound. When the shooting instructor tells you to "aim for the beak" he could well be talking about this quarry, its large flat spoon shaped beak is one of its best distinguishing features and is as long as the birds head making the head look off balance. The smoke blue forewings and cental white wing bars are another excellent aid to identification, these are common to both male and female. The white chest, contrasting dark green head and chestnut underbody make it easy to identify the drake (male) in flight. The wings of both genders appear to be set far back, this effect is caused by their long bills which they use to sieve animal and plant matter such as insects, seaweeds etc while swimming with the head held low on the water surface. Large groups will often be seen feeding together and it is believed that their actions stir the water and disturb more food for the group.
The Shoveler is widely distributed around Britain and is resident all year round, although only a small number visit the Humber area.