A header assembly supported on the front of a windrower includes a header configured to process crop material standing in a field and a lean bar as the leading element for contacting crop material and preparing the crop material for processing by the header. The lean bar is positioned forward of the header so that the lean bar is the forward-most element of the header assembly. The header assembly has a plurality of cutting elements arranged in a line transverse the header. A cutter bar shield door is positioned to an elevated position such that a forward most point of the cutter bar shield door is above a rearward most point of the cutter bar shield door. The forward most point of the cutter bar shield door lies on or behind a line drawn between the forward edge of the lean bar and a rotational center of the cutting elements.
