Pair of Northern Shovelers, Seattle, Washington
A pair of northern shovelers (Spatula clypeata) swim together on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area in Seattle, Washington. Nothern shovelers are monogamous, forming bonds when they are on their wintering grounds and staying together until just before the fall migration. Northern shovelers are dabbling ducks that feed in shallow wetlands, using their distinctive spoon-shaped bills to scoop up and filter water to collect seeds, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates. The bird in the front is a male, or drake, in breeding plumage; behind him is a female, or hen.
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