Northern Shoveler x Gadwall (hybrid)

Spatula clypeata x Mareca strepera

Status: Rare casual spring migrant central

Records: There are three records:

20 Mar 2015 Harlan Co Reservoir, Harlan Co (Skaggs, eBird.org)

9 May 2020 York Co (Willison, eBird.org)

9 May 2020 York Co (Peterson, eBird.org). Likely same bird as preceding; eBird locations are about three miles apart.

Comments: Northern Shoveler is known to hybridize with Mallard, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, and American Wigeon in the wild (Leschack et al 2020). According to “Bird Hybrids”, this is a “highly distinctive hybrid”, and surprisingly exhibits a pale cheek, although the latter, as well as the bronze-colored cap, is shared by other Gadwall hybrids (Bird Hybrids: Gadwall x Northern Shoveler).

Although there are about 15 records of this hybrid on the Great Plains and 40+ for North America (eBird.org, accessed Feb 2017), there are only three records for Nebraska.

Images

Literature Cited

Leschack, C. R., S. K. McKnight, and G. R. Hepp (2020). Gadwall (Mareca strepera), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.gadwal.01.

Recommended Citation

Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2024. Northern Shoveler x Gadwall (hybrid) (Spatula clypeata x Mareca strepera). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org

Updated 5 Apr 2024