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The Botanical Gallery

James Audubon - Shoveller Duck

James Audubon - Shoveller Duck

Regular price £140.00 GBP
Regular price Sale price £140.00 GBP
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The Shoveller Duck is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, wintering in southern Europe, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Central and northern South America. It is a rare vagrant to Australia. In North America, it breeds along the southern edge of Hudson Bay and west of this body of water, and as far south as the Great Lakes west to Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon. 

 
This species is unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. The breeding drake has an iridescent dark green head, white breast chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake resembles the female. 
 
The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female Mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray-tinged with orange on cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is gray.
 
Gouttelette print on paper
 
Image size 76 x 50 cms
Paper size 86 x 60 cms
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