Breeds abundantly in the Texas, westward to the Columbia, and Fur Countries. During winter from the Middle Atlantic Districts to Texas. Common.
Shoveller, Anas clypeata, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 45.
Anas clypeata, Bonap. Syn. p. 382.
Anas clypeata, Shoveller, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 439.
Shoveller, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 383.
Shoveller Duck, Anas clypeata, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 241.
Bill about the length of the head or shorter, higher than broad at the base, depressed toward the end, the margins parallel, slightly dilated towards the end, which is rounded, the frontal angles rather pointed; upper mandible with the dorsal line generally declinate, but various at the base, being often prominent, the ridge broad at the base, narrowed at the middle, enlarged and convex at the end, the sides nearly erect at the base, gradually more declinate, the edges soft and internally lamellate, the unguis oblong and decurved; lower mandible flattened, being but slightly convex, with the angle very long and rather narrow, the dorsal line very short and straight, the edges internally lamellate, the unguis flat, obovato-elliptical. Nostrils submedial, linear-oblong, rather large, near the ridge, in an oblong depression covered with the soft membrane of the bill. Head rather large, compressed, convex above; neck of moderate length, rather thick; body full, depressed. Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly with narrow scutella continuous with those of the middle toe, and having another series commencing half-way down and continuous with those of the outer toe; hind toe small, with an inner expanded margin; middle toe nearly double the length of the tarsus, outer a little shorter, all scutellate. Claws small, compressed, that of the first toe very small and curved. Plumage dense, firm, blended. Wings shortish, narrow, pointed, first and second quills longest; inner secondaries elongated and tapering. Tail very short, rounded or cuneate, of fourteen or more feathers. Œsophagus rather wide, considerably dilated at the lower part of the neck; stomach an extremely muscular, roundish gizzard; intestine long and wide; cœca long. Trachea of the males with a transverse, bony, unsymmetrical dilatation at the inferior larynx.
* Bill of ordinary length, broad, without enlargements at the base, unguis small, decurved.
396. 1. Fuligula Valisneriana, Wils. Canvass Back Duck.
Plate CCCI. Male and Female.
Bill as long as the head; tail much rounded, of fourteen feathers. Male with the bill black; upper part of head and a space along the base of the bill dusky, a small transverse band of white on the chin; the rest of the head and the neck all round for more than half its length, rich brownish-red; a broad belt of brownish-black occupying the lower part of the neck and the fore part of the body; upper parts white, minutely undulated with dark grey or blackish; primary quills brownish-black, tinged with grey towards the base; secondaries ash-grey, toward the end whitish and undulated, five of them also having a narrow strip of black along their outer margin; rump and tail-coverts above and below brownish-black; tail brownish-grey; lower parts white, the sides and abdomen marked with five undulating grey lines. Female with the upper parts greyish-brown, the top of the head darker, the chin whitish, the neck greyish-brown, as are the sides and abdomen; breast white; wing-coverts brownish-grey; primary quills greyish-brown, dusky at the end, secondaries ash-grey, five of the inner with an external black margin; the innermost greyish-brown, like the back, and with some of the scapulars faintly undulated with darker; tail greyish-brown, paler at the end; axillars and smaller under wing-coverts white.
Male, 22, 33. Female, 201/4, 303/4.
Abundant during winter from the mouth of the Delaware to New Orleans, in all the estuaries. Columbia River. Breeds on the Rocky Mountains and northward.