WhenToBird

Spatula clypeata · Anatidae

When Do Northern Shovelers Arrive in Massachusetts?

Adult male Northern Shoveler
Photo: Chris O'Donoghue, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Northern Shovelers are winter birds in Massachusetts: they arrive in the second week of October, peak in late March (1.6% of checklists), and most are gone by mid April.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 8-14the second week of October
Common byOct 8-14the second week of October
PeakMar 22-31late March
Most gone byApr 15-21mid April

Best: late March. First arrivals the second week of October; most are gone by mid April. Peak: on about 1.6% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Mayrare
  6. Junrare
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augrare
  9. Seprare
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Deccommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%0.5%1%1.5%2%Jan 1-7: 0.7% of 43252 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.7% of 30096 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.4% of 28760 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.4% of 38135 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.4% of 26442 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.5% of 29034 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.6% of 37383 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.7% of 29977 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.8% of 29175 checklistsMar 8-14: 1.1% of 32399 checklistsMar 15-21: 1.5% of 34444 checklistsMar 22-31: 1.9% of 49126 checklistsApr 1-7: 1.5% of 36456 checklistsApr 8-14: 1.2% of 40908 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.6% of 42078 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.3% of 56465 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.2% of 56994 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.1% of 64079 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 52020 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 55402 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.1% of 30682 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.1% of 27557 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.1% of 26163 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.1% of 29576 checklistsJul 1-7: 0% of 23931 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 22389 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 22365 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.1% of 32631 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.1% of 25133 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.1% of 24610 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.1% of 25350 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.1% of 37198 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.2% of 27402 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.2% of 27700 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.1% of 28398 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.2% of 34646 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.2% of 28620 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.3% of 30144 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.5% of 28893 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.6% of 38869 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.7% of 29782 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.9% of 27582 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.9% of 26642 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.8% of 34390 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.9% of 25164 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.7% of 24892 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.6% of 29022 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.6% of 44323 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Massachusetts that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Massachusetts

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Nantucket CountyBest early February · 298 checklists that week, 23,895 in all5.7%
  2. Hampden CountyBest mid March · 797 checklists that week, 35,410 in all4.9%
  3. Essex CountyBest early April · 4936 checklists that week, 213,973 in all3.7%
  4. Suffolk CountyBest late March · 3229 checklists that week, 112,443 in all2.7%
  5. Dukes CountyBest the second week of December · 302 checklists that week, 23,670 in all2.4%
  6. Middlesex CountyBest mid March · 7000 checklists that week, 307,511 in all2.2%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Britland ParkBristol County, best late November · 32 checklists that week, 721 in all60%
  2. Chandler PondSuffolk County, best early February · 20 checklists that week, 1,769 in all56%
  3. Hager PondMiddlesex County, best late March · 41 checklists that week, 415 in all54%
  4. Buttonwood ParkBristol County, best early January · 32 checklists that week, 478 in all54%
  5. Arms House PondPlymouth County, best mid February · 21 checklists that week, 670 in all48%
  6. Horn Pond (Cummings Brook)Middlesex County, best late February · 22 checklists that week, 803 in all45%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Massachusetts, the Northern Shoveler is most often listed on checklists started between 1 and 3 pm (0.7% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%12 am: too few checklists (630) to judge1 am: too few checklists (657) to judge2 am: too few checklists (645) to judge3 am: too few checklists (850) to judge4 am: too few checklists (3787) to judge5 am: too few checklists (29743) to judge6 am: 0.2% of 108601 checklists7 am: 0.3% of 186104 checklists8 am: 0.5% of 185905 checklists9 am: 0.5% of 166049 checklists10 am: 0.5% of 150508 checklists11 am: 0.6% of 131024 checklists12 pm: 0.6% of 116804 checklists1 pm: 0.7% of 112055 checklists2 pm: 0.7% of 110246 checklists3 pm: 0.6% of 104376 checklists4 pm: 0.5% of 83736 checklists5 pm: 0.3% of 63723 checklists6 pm: 0.2% of 41435 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (21041) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (5240) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1722) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1094) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (704) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January0.7%0.7%0.4%0.4%
February0.4%0.5%0.6%0.7%
March0.8%1.1%1.5%1.9%
April1.5%1.2%0.6%0.3%
May0.2%0.1%0.1%0.1%
June0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
July0%0.1%0.1%0.1%
August0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
September0.2%0.2%0.1%0.2%
October0.2%0.3%0.5%0.6%
November0.7%0.9%0.9%0.8%
December0.9%0.7%0.6%0.6%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives late October, 2 weeks later than Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire: arrives early March, 19 weeks later than Massachusetts
  • Connecticut: arrives mid October, 1 week later than Massachusetts
  • Vermont: arrives early March, 19 weeks later than Massachusetts

Common questions

When do Northern Shovelers arrive in Massachusetts?
Northern Shovelers are winter birds in Massachusetts: they arrive in the second week of October, peak in late March (1.6% of checklists), and most are gone by mid April.
When do Northern Shovelers leave Massachusetts?
Most Northern Shovelers have left Massachusetts by mid April, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Northern Shoveler in Massachusetts?
The Northern Shoveler is reported most often in late March, on about 1.6% of Massachusetts checklists.
Where in Massachusetts are Northern Shovelers seen most often?
By county, Nantucket County, Hampden County, and Essex County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Northern Shoveler (counties with at least 200 checklists).