Appearance:
Male - The male Australian Shoveler has a blue-grey head with vertical white crescent in front of the eye, dark crown, large black spatula shaped beak, yellow eyes, chestnut flanks, black back and rump, wing-coverts are bluish-grey with white bars, white patches on the rear flanks, and legs and feet are orange.
Female - The female has the same large spatula shaped beak which is greyish-brown, mottled brown upperparts, chestnut underparts, and dark brown eyes.
Eclipse - The male in eclipse plumage is similar to the female but has reddish flanks. The male can still be identified by having yellow eyes and a black beak.
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Size: - Typical Adult is 46-56cm (18-22in).
Food: - Uses large beak to filter small animals, insects and plankton from the water. Also feeds on weeds, seeds, insects, and molluscs.
Habitat/Range: - Wetlands, pools, lagoons, lakes and marshes in south-west and south-east Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.



Breeding Season: - Begins August to December.
Eggs: - 9 to 11 (creamy-white colour).
Notes: - The Australian Shoveler is an Australian dabbling duck which is also called the Blue-winged Shoveler, Southern Shoveler, or Spoonbill Duck.
Conservation status (IUCN 3.1):
Least Concern.
Classification: - Family: Anatidae,
Subfamily: Anatinae, Genus: Anas.