Scientific Classification
- Common Name
- Australian shoveler
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus Species
- Spatula rhynchotis (resembling a bill; refers to spatulate bill)
Fast Facts
- Description
- This duck has a long, spatulate bill and whitish crescent-shaped patches in the area between the bill and eyes.
- Size
- 46 to 56 cm (18.4 to 22.4 in.)
- Weight
- 272 to 480 g (9.5 to 16.8 oz.)
- Diet
- Herbs, grasses, pondweeds, wigeon grass, eelgrass, and algae
- Incubation
- 25 to 26 days
- Clutch Size
- 7 to 8 eggs
- Fledging Duration
- 40 to 45 days
- Sexual Maturity
- 1 to 2 years
- Life Span
- Averages 20 to 30 years
- Range
- This species has a very large range and can be found in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.
- Habitat
- Found in or near shallow lakes and pools with dense reed beds, marshes and lagoons
- Population
- The total population is unknown but scientists believe that there are at least 10,000 mature individuals. The population appears to be stable and is not severely fragmented .
- Status
- IUCN: Least Concern
CITES: Not listed
USFWS: Not listed
Fun Facts
Males are called drakes, females are hens, and young are called ducklings.
These ducks have a series of tiny vertical slits known as lamellae found along the upper and lower sides of the bill. They sift the surface of the water filtering out small animals and plants through their bill.
Ecology and Conservation
These birds are hunted recreationally in New Zealand but strict bag limits have been established to protect and stabilize their populations.
Bibliography
Austin, G. Birds of The World. New York. Golden Press, Inc., 1961.
Gotch, A.F. Birds - Their Latin Names Explained. UK. Blandford Books Ltd., 1981.
Johnsgard, P. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of the World. Lincoln. Univ. Of Neb. Press, 1978.
Scott, P. A Coloured Key of the Wildfowl of the World. Slimbridge, England. The Wildfowl Trust. 1988.
Todd, F.S. Natural History of Waterfowl. San Diego, Ca. Ibis Publishing Co., 1996.
BirdLife International. 2016. Spatula rhynchotis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22680243A92852551. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680243A92852551.en. Downloaded on 03 December 2018.
Photo Credit: Australasian_Shoveler_Male.jpg. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Image by: Grahame. Year Created: 23 January 2010. Website: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Australasian Shoveler Male.jpg. License: CC by SA 3.0.
