---
title: "Cape Shoveler"
description: "Spatula smithii — Ptaki. The Cape shoveler or Cape shoveller (Spatula smithii) is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Spatula."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pl/animal/cape-shoveler
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Cape Shoveler

> Spatula smithii — Ptaki. The Cape shoveler or Cape shoveller (Spatula smithii) is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Spatula.

- Scientific name: *Spatula smithii*
- Category: `birds` (Ptaki)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Jeziora i rzeki)
- iNaturalist observations: 2358
- Wikidata: [Q28106937](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28106937)
- iNaturalist taxon: [558436](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/558436)

## Names

- en: Cape Shoveler
- de: Kaplöffelente
- es: Cuchara de El Cabo
- fr: Canard de Smith

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (2283), NA (36)

## Summary

The Cape shoveler or Cape shoveller (Spatula smithii) is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Spatula. It is resident in South Africa, and uncommon further north in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zambia.
This 51–53 cm long duck is non-migratory, but undertakes some local seasonal movements. It is gregarious when not breeding, and may then form large flocks.
This species has a large spatulate bill. Adults have speckled grey-brown plumage and dull orange legs. As with many southern hemisphere ducks, the sexes appear similar, but the male has a paler head than the female, a…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_shoveler

## Photo

![Cape Shoveler](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/cape-shoveler/medium.jpg)

Photo: bdhimes · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/288188869

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/cape-shoveler?lang=pl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).