In common with most other ducks, after mating the drake shoveler plays no further part in the incubation of the eggs and rearing of the ducklings. In April or May, the female constructs a nest on dry ground, often concealed in a grass tussock, and lines it with down from her own breast. There may be as many as 12 buff-coloured eggs and incubation takes 24 days. The female leads them away from the nest as soon as the clutch has hatched. The ducklings feed on small insects and other invertebrates, as well as plant seeds and buds. They can fly after about six weeks, and by the end of October, most British birds have migrated to southern Europe.