Northern Shoveler
Northern ShovelerNorthern ShovelerNorthern ShovelerNorthern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Yellowstone National Park
192 Verified records at Yellowstone National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The northern shoveler (; Spatula clypeata), often known simply as the shoveler where other related species do not occur, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and throughout the Palearctic and across most of North America, and winters in southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is a rare vagrant to Australia. In North America, it breeds along the southern edge of Hudson Bay and west of this body of water, and as far south as the Great Lakes west to Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon. The northern shoveler is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The conservation status of this bird is least concern. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Shoveler sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 192 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Yellowstone National Park

Cinnamon Teal

Cinnamon Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula cyanoptera

10–20% · With luck
Blue-winged Teal
LC

Blue-winged Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula discors

5–10% · With luck
Canada Goose
LC

Canada Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Branta canadensis

60–70% · Likely
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

40–50% · Likely
Lesser Scaup
LC

Lesser Scaup

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya affinis

30–40% · Possible
Common Merganser
LC

Common Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus merganser

30–40% · Possible
Barrow's Goldeneye
LC

Barrow's Goldeneye

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bucephala islandica

20–30% · Possible
Bufflehead
LC

Bufflehead

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bucephala albeola

20–30% · Possible
Trumpeter Swan
LC

Trumpeter Swan

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cygnus buccinator

20–30% · Possible
American Wigeon

American Wigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca americana

20–30% · Possible
Ring-necked Duck
LC

Ring-necked Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya collaris

10–20% · With luck
Ruddy Duck
LC

Ruddy Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oxyura jamaicensis

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
5–10
Apr
5–10
May
5–10
Jun
<5
Jul
5–10
Aug
5–10
Sep
5–10
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
60–70%
2 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
50–60%
3 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
50–60%
4 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
40–50%
5 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
6 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
20–30%
7 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
8 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
20–30%
9 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
10 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
11 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
20–30%
12 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
13 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
14 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
10–20%
15 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
16 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
17 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
10–20%
18 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
10–20%
19 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
10–20%
20 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
21 Hemis National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
22 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
23 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
24 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
25 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
26 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
27 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
28 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
29 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
5–10%
30 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
31 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
5–10%
32 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
33 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
34 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
35 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
36 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
37 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
38 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
40 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
41 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
42 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
43 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
44 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
45 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
46 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
<5%
47 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
48 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
49 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
<5%
50 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
51 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
52 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
53 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
54 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
55 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
56 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
57 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
58 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
59 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
60 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
61 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
62 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
63 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
64 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
65 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
66 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
67 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
68 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
69 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
70 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
71 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
72 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
73 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
74 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
75 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
76 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
77 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
78 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
Insufficient data
79 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
80 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
81 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
82 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
83 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
84 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
85 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
86 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
87 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
88 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
89 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
Insufficient data
90 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
91 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
92 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
93 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
94 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
95 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
96 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
97 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
98 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
99 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Northern Shoveler in Yellowstone National Park?

About 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Shoveler sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 192 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Northern Shoveler in Yellowstone National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Northern Shoveler in Yellowstone National Park in our monthly data.

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