Shoveler
Spatula (syn Anas) clypeata
43.559, 4.41032
Field Notes
Description:
Medium to large duck, easily identified due to its strikingly long and broad bill. Breeding male sports yellow eye and iridescent green head, appearing black at distance. It also has a black back, white belly and chestnut flanks (seen well in photo N° 5, where a male in a full breeding attire rests in company of a teal). Male in eclipse (photos N°s 1 & 2) is mainly brownish, a bit like a female (photo N° 3).
Habitat:
Seen in wetlands of NP Camargue, south of France - a sanctuary wetlands zone.
Notes:
The Camargue is a natural region located south of Arles, France, and it is a western Europe biggest river delta - where Rhône meets the sea. Camargue is a vast plain, and one third of it are lakes and marshes. The Regional Park and Natural reserve covers over 800 Km²; and enjoys one of the most tight nature protection in Europe. Moreover, Camargue was named an IBA or Important Bird Area by Birdlife International, as over 400 wild species of birds are recorded here - the emblem of the park is Greater flamingo, whose main European habitat is here. It is also home to many other mediterranean species of insects, amphibians, reptiles...
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