Stats

Lifespan: 10-16 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Filter Feeder
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Flock
Biome: Freshwater wetland
Range: Northern Hemisphere
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Speed
Status: Common

About

A dabbling duck named for its oversized, spoon-shaped bill, which it sweeps side to side through shallow water to filter out tiny crustaceans and seeds. Breeding males show a striking iridescent green head, white chest, and rusty flanks.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A clutch of eggs rests in a down-lined nest near water, covered and warmed by the brooding female.
2.
hatchling
A downy hatchling follows its mother to the water within hours and feeds itself almost immediately.
3.
juvenile
A juvenile grows its first true feathers, swimming in the family group and learning to dabble or dive.
4.
adult
Fully grown with adult plumage.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Spatula
Species: Spatula clypeata