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A photo of a Cape Shoveler (Spatula smithii), male
Cape Shoveler, Male

Cape Shoveler

Spatula smithii

The Cape shoveler or Cape shoveller (Spatula smithii) is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Spatula. It is resident in South Africa, and uncommon further north in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zambia. This species has a large spatulate bill. Adults have speckled grey-brown plumage and dull orange legs. As with many southern hemisphere ducks, the sexes appear similar, but the male has a paler head than the female, a pale blue forewing separated from the green speculum by a white border, and yellow eyes. The female's forewing is grey. Cape shoveler can only be confused with a vagrant female northern shoveler, but is much darker and stockier than that species.
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Cape Shovelers on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
🦅
Aart Verrips
Sunday 21 May 2023 - 9:05am
South Africa
A map showing the sighting location
🦅
Aart Verrips
Saturday 20 May 2023 - 9:29am
South Africa
A map showing the sighting location
🦅
Aart Verrips
Saturday 20 May 2023 - 8:12am
South Africa
A photo of a Cape Shoveler photographed in Winterbottom Hide South Africa
🦉
Robert Flack
Tuesday 16 May 2023 - 9:08am
South Africa
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