Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler has surged: up 166% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Northern Shoveler
The Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) is a North American member of the Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl (Anatidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the waterfowl.
- Size
- 12–43.5 in long (30–110 cm) — a medium to large waterfowl (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes and sheltered coastal waters.
- Diet
- Aquatic plants, seeds and invertebrates, dabbled at the surface or dived for.
- Range
- Recorded on 546 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 25 states, most concentrated in the Prairie Potholes.
- Family
- Anatidae · Waterfowl
Notable Northern Shoveler Trends
Northern Shoveler has surged in surveyed states: up 166% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
Northern Shoveler Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Northern Shoveler is projected to rise about 41% by 2029 — from 0.20 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.28 (95% range 0.12–0.43). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.27 | 0.11 | 0.42 |
| 2026 | 0.27 | 0.11 | 0.43 |
| 2027 | 0.27 | 0.12 | 0.43 |
| 2028 | 0.28 | 0.12 | 0.43 |
| 2029 | 0.28 | 0.12 | 0.43 |
Where the Northern Shoveler Is Detected
BBS routes recording Northern Shoveler, sized by most recent count.
Northern Shoveler Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -52% | 1983 | 45 |
| California | +20% | 1973 | 25 |
| Colorado | +42% | 1972 | 39 |
| Delaware | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Idaho | -27% | 1979 | 21 |
| Illinois | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Indiana | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Iowa | +73% | 1978 | 5 |
| Kansas | +1% | 1970 | 12 |
| Minnesota | -64% | 1979 | 30 |
| Missouri | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Montana | +43% | 1970 | 62 |
| Nebraska | -74% | 1971 | 28 |
| Nevada | +154% | 1995 | 11 |
| New Mexico | -70% | 1974 | 10 |
| North Dakota | +500% | 1969 | 48 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Oregon | +294% | 1978 | 28 |
| Pennsylvania | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Dakota | -26% | 1969 | 47 |
| Texas | +27% | 1977 | 20 |
| Utah | +14% | 1991 | 18 |
| Washington | -24% | 1977 | 23 |
| Wisconsin | +20% | 1974 | 14 |
| Wyoming | +99% | 1972 | 50 |
Northern Shoveler Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | -85% | 1989 | 10 |
| BCR 4 | -51% | 1983 | 30 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -25% | 1988 | 13 |
| Great Basin | +88% | 1974 | 82 |
| Northern Rockies | -33% | 1975 | 60 |
| Prairie Potholes | +213% | 1969 | 98 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -47% | 1971 | 23 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +25% | 1969 | 87 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | +64% | 1975 | 58 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -70% | 1969 | 27 |
| Eastern Tallgrass Prairie | -51% | 1974 | 7 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -53% | 1973 | 20 |
| Coastal California | +244% | 1977 | 11 |
Northern Shoveler Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 166% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.