One more duck from our 22 October 2018 visit to the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge—a drake Northern Shoveler. When not preening, these ducks swam in tight circles, using their outsized, spatula-shaped bills to sieve the water for small crustaceans. The bills come complete with large comblike structures along their outer edges. While ideal for straining water, the bills do appear to be rather long for preening purposes.
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