I watched a group of Northern Shovelers for about an hour today on a North Shore (NJ) lake. They just kept tightly huddled up and turning a very tight circle with their heads down and their bills if not their whole heads under the water. They were so tightly packed that it was difficult, if not impossible, to count them. It was like they were either caught in or creating a whirlpool of some sort. Feeding behavior, I assume? Any thoughts?
I am just now going through a PILE of images of these guys doing this. I do think it is a mutually benefitial behavour. They all stir up the water/mud and feed on it. I find it great fun to watch, awful to photograph! Yup normal stuff for them.
The Shoveler has an over sized bill with combs or fringing on the interior edges and the tongue is also fringed. This allows the duck to strain organisms from the water or mud as it forages. The birds will do this in unison often swimming in a circular pattern. It reminds me of a Rugby scrum.
I saw about twenty of them doing this same behavior at Sacramento Wildlife refuge this morning. I was amazed at how long they keep their heads under water.
Shoveler Behavior
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