Northern Shoveler: Song & calls
The Northern Shoveler is relatively quiet compared with the Mallard and Teal:
- Male: a muffled snorting "tock-tock" or "guk-guk" — reminiscent of a low drum roll. Heard mainly during courtship.
- Female: a low quacking "kerr-kerr" — shorter and softer than the classic quack of the female Mallard.
- In flight: the wings produce a characteristic whistling sound from the wingbeats — a high-frequency whirr.
The calls are seldom heard outside the breeding season and on passage. Recordings can be found on xeno-canto.
More about the Northern Shoveler