Australasian Shoveler

1. Broad, spoon-shaped bill wider at the tip than the base.

2. Males have a blue-grey head with a white crescent and yellow eyes; females are mottled brown.

3. Bright orange legs and blue wing patches visible in flight.

Australasian Shovelers are specialist filter-feeders, using the fine lamellae along the edges of their bills to strain small aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material from the water. They often feed by swimming with their heads submerged, sometimes spinning in circles to concentrate food. Breeding typically occurs from August to December in coastal regions, but can happen year-round inland after rain. Nests are built on the ground in dense vegetation near water. Females lay 9–11 eggs and handle all incubation and care of the ducklings, while males do not assist with parental duties`.`

Australasian Shovelers are found in southeastern and southwestern Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. They inhabit large, permanent wetlands, lakes, marshes, and sewage ponds with abundant aquatic vegetation. They are often seen in the deeper sections of wetlands, feeding away from the edges. The species is nomadic, moving in response to changing water conditions, and can be found wherever suitable habitat exists, though they are less common than other ducks.