Spatula rhynchotis
The Australasian Shoveler, *Spatula rhynchotis*, is a distinctive medium-sized dabbling duck, measuring 46-53 cm in length with a wingspan of 70-80 cm and weighing between 500-1000g. Its most striking feature is the large, spatulate (shovel-shaped) bill, which is uniquely adapted for filter-feeding. Males in breeding plumage are particularly vibrant, boasting an iridescent dark green head, a bright yellow eye, and a prominent vertical white crescent between the bill and eye, contrasted by ric...
Found in shallow freshwater and brackish wetlands, including marshes, swamps, lagoons, sewage ponds, and estuaries, typically at low elevations.
Feeds predominantly on zooplankton, small aquatic invertebrates (crustaceans, insect larvae, mollusks), and seeds or small fragments of aquatic vegetation, obtained by filter-feeding.
Primarily diurnal, the Australasian Shoveler spends its days actively foraging and often roosts communally on open water or sheltered banks. Its foraging strategy is highly specialized, involving filter-feeding by swimming with its bill partially submerged, sifting plankton, tiny invertebrates, a...
The Australasian Shoveler is found across a significant portion of Australia, primarily in the southeastern mainland states (New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia), as well as southwestern Western Australia and Tasmania. It also has a distinct population spread throughout both the North and ...
Least Concern
- The Australasian Shoveler's bill contains over 100 fine, comb-like structures called lamellae, which are essential for filtering microscopic food particles from the water. - They can rotate their necks almost 180 degrees while foraging to maximize feeding efficiency in shallow water. - Along wi...