Northern Shoveler Drakes Swimming, Seattle, Washington

Two northern shovelers (Spatula clypeata) raise their heads while swimming on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area in Seattle, Washington. The two northern shovelers seen here are drakes, or males, in their breeding plumage. Northern shovelers feed in shallow wetlands, using their distinctive spoon-shaped bills to scoop up and filter water to collect seeds, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates.