Ornithological Note 30
Country: Peru
Section(s): vagrancy, Movements
On 4 November 2013, while visiting the Mejía Lagoons National Sanctuary in the coastal Islay province of Arequipa, Peru (17º08’S/71º51’W), I noticed a male and a female of Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) swimming and foraging together in one of the lagoons. They were in the company of other ducks (Anas bahamensis, A. georgica, Spatula cyanoptera, Oxyura ferruginea), grebes (Rollandia rolland, Podiceps major) and coots (Fulica ardesiaca). They were seen in perfect light at relatively close range so identification was straightforward. I am most familiar with this species, which I observe regularly in Europe. At the time I was unaware of its vagrant status in Peru and just took a panoramic photograph of the lagoon but the male at least can be readily identified in this. All this information has been forwarded to the national rarities committee (Comité de Registros de Aves Peruanas).
The Northern Shoveler breeds in most of the Holarctic, wintering in the Americas south to Colombia and Venezuela, and occurring further south as a vagrant. There appears to be just one previous record in Peru: a female at Ventanillo, Lima, on 15 January 2012 (Comité de Registros de Aves Peruanas 2012).
References
Comité de Registros de Aves Peruanas (2012). Reporte del Comité de Registros de Aves Peruanas del periodo 2010–2011. Bol. UNOP 7(2): 51–62.
Recommended Citation
Castellani, C. (2015). Second record of Northern Shoveler for Peru. HBW Alive Ornithological Note 30. In: Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow-on.100030
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