WhenToBird

Spatula clypeata · Anatidae

When Do Northern Shovelers Arrive in Nebraska?

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

Northern Shovelers reach Nebraska in the second week of February, are common by early March, peak in the second week of April (33% of checklists), and most are gone by late May.

When to look

First arrivalsFeb 8-14the second week of February
Common byMar 1-7early March
PeakApr 8-14the second week of April
Most gone byMay 22-31late May

Best: the second week of April. First arrivals the second week of February; most are gone by late May. Peak: on about 33% of Nebraska checklists.

  1. Janrare
  2. Febrare
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maycommon
  6. Junrare
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augrare
  9. Seprare
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decuncommon

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

0%10%20%30%40%Jan 1-7: 2.7% of 4210 checklistsJan 8-14: 2.2% of 2891 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.3% of 2685 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.7% of 3834 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.9% of 2803 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.9% of 3134 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.2% of 4508 checklistsFeb 22-28: 2.7% of 3238 checklistsMar 1-7: 6.9% of 3862 checklistsMar 8-14: 13% of 4894 checklistsMar 15-21: 17% of 5862 checklistsMar 22-31: 25% of 8598 checklistsApr 1-7: 32% of 5530 checklistsApr 8-14: 33% of 5528 checklistsApr 15-21: 34% of 6091 checklistsApr 22-30: 26% of 8661 checklistsMay 1-7: 15% of 9842 checklistsMay 8-14: 8.6% of 10044 checklistsMay 15-21: 7.3% of 8863 checklistsMay 22-31: 5.3% of 10207 checklistsJun 1-7: 2.8% of 4922 checklistsJun 8-14: 2.2% of 4054 checklistsJun 15-21: 2.0% of 3680 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.8% of 4349 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.5% of 3277 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.5% of 2803 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.5% of 2842 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.3% of 3920 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.7% of 2981 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.1% of 2819 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.7% of 3179 checklistsAug 22-31: 3.0% of 4599 checklistsSep 1-7: 3.1% of 3958 checklistsSep 8-14: 3.1% of 3460 checklistsSep 15-21: 4.3% of 3435 checklistsSep 22-30: 4.4% of 4975 checklistsOct 1-7: 4.8% of 3611 checklistsOct 8-14: 5.9% of 3605 checklistsOct 15-21: 7.9% of 3474 checklistsOct 22-31: 11% of 4352 checklistsNov 1-7: 12% of 3119 checklistsNov 8-14: 15% of 2887 checklistsNov 15-21: 9.6% of 2568 checklistsNov 22-30: 8.7% of 3506 checklistsDec 1-7: 6.9% of 2453 checklistsDec 8-14: 4.8% of 2756 checklistsDec 15-21: 2.9% of 3760 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.1% of 3746 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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Dakota CountyBest the second week of April · 78 checklists that week, 2,182 in all63%
  2. Saunders CountyBest the second week of April · 98 checklists that week, 3,090 in all61%
  3. Pierce CountyBest early April · 10 checklists that week, 516 in all59%
  4. Arthur CountyBest late April · 12 checklists that week, 207 in all57%
  5. Jefferson CountyBest early April · 15 checklists that week, 804 in all57%
  6. Harlan CountyBest the second week of April · 28 checklists that week, 1,276 in all57%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Wehrspann Recreation AreaSarpy County, best late March · 26 checklists that week, 716 in all93%
  2. Boettger CreekDouglas County, best the second week of April · 38 checklists that week, 290 in all92%
  3. Yankee Hill LakeLancaster County, best the second week of April · 22 checklists that week, 381 in all91%
  4. Seward County Waterfowl Production AreaSeward County, best the second week of April · 23 checklists that week, 353 in all90%
  5. Jack Sinn Memorial Wildlife Management Area (North Fork Rock Creek)Lancaster County, best late April · 20 checklists that week, 228 in all86%

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

Best time of day

In Nebraska, the Northern Shoveler is most often listed on checklists started between 5 and 7 pm (11% of those checklists).

0%5%10%15%12 am: too few checklists (60) to judge1 am: too few checklists (70) to judge2 am: too few checklists (74) to judge3 am: too few checklists (97) to judge4 am: too few checklists (318) to judge5 am: too few checklists (1382) to judge6 am: 8.0% of 6945 checklists7 am: 8.3% of 19066 checklists8 am: 8.3% of 24661 checklists9 am: 9.1% of 23438 checklists10 am: 9.2% of 20424 checklists11 am: 9.8% of 16727 checklists12 pm: 10% of 14774 checklists1 pm: 10% of 14443 checklists2 pm: 11% of 14830 checklists3 pm: 9.9% of 14445 checklists4 pm: 10% of 13353 checklists5 pm: 10% of 10506 checklists6 pm: 12% of 9208 checklists7 pm: 8.7% of 6334 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (2406) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (531) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (201) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (82) 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
January2.7%2.2%1.3%0.7%
February0.9%0.9%1.2%2.7%
March6.9%13%17%25%
April32%33%34%26%
May15%8.6%7.3%5.3%
June2.8%2.2%2.0%0.8%
July0.5%0.5%0.5%0.3%
August0.7%1.1%1.7%3.0%
September3.1%3.1%4.3%4.4%
October4.8%5.9%7.9%11%
November12%15%9.6%8.7%
December6.9%4.8%2.9%2.1%

Neighboring states

  • Kansas: arrives the second week of August, 24 weeks earlier than Nebraska
  • South Dakota: arrives early March, 3 weeks later than Nebraska
  • Iowa: arrives mid February, 1 week later than Nebraska
  • Missouri: arrives mid September, 19 weeks earlier than Nebraska

Common questions

When do Northern Shovelers arrive in Nebraska?
Northern Shovelers reach Nebraska in the second week of February, are common by early March, peak in the second week of April (33% of checklists), and most are gone by late May.
When do Northern Shovelers leave Nebraska?
Most Northern Shovelers have left Nebraska by late May, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late June.
When is the best time to see a Northern Shoveler in Nebraska?
The Northern Shoveler is reported most often in the second week of April, on about 33% of Nebraska checklists.
Where in Nebraska are Northern Shovelers seen most often?
By county, Dakota County, Saunders County, and Pierce County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Northern Shoveler (counties with at least 200 checklists).