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BIRD FACTS |
Description
The Australasian Shoveler is a dabbling duck related to the Mallard and Pacific black duck. It has a long grey blue bill. The male has a grey head and neck, with vertical white stripe running down the face between the eye and the bill It has a brown back, and brown and chestnut underside, with white patch near the rear. The female is mottled brown and buff, with paler head and chest.
Size
46cm - 53cm
Habitat
wetlands, freshwater swamps
Food
feds on insects, crustaceans, plants
Breeding
Lays around 10 whitish eggs. The nest is a grass cup with down lining and is located amongst long grass or other dense vegetation. It sometimes nests in a tree hollow by or in the water.
Range
The Australasian Shoveler is nomadic and ranges across south east quarter of Australia from central Queensland coast, most of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and eastern south Australia. Also found in south west parts of Western Australia.
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Anseriformes | | Family: | Anatidae | | Genus: | Anas | | Species: | rhynchotis | | Common Name: | Australasian Shoveler |
Relatives in same Genus
Northern Pintail (A. acuta)
Chestnut Teal (A. castanea)
Northern Shoveler (A. clypeata)
Grey Teal (A. gracilis)
Mallard (A. platyrhynchos)
Garganey (A. querquedula)
Pacific Black Duck (A. superciliosa)
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