The Australasian shoveler (''Spatula rhynchotis'') is a species of

dabbling duck The Anatinae are a subfamily of the family Anatidae (swans, geese and ducks). Its surviving members are the dabbling ducks, which feed mainly at the surface rather than by diving. The other members of the Anatinae are the extinct moa-nalo, a y ...

in the genus ''Spatula''. It ranges from . It lives in heavily vegetated swamps. In Australia it is protected under the

National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 The ''National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974'' is the legislation passed by the New South Wales Parliament with the explicit intent of conserving the natural and cultural heritage of the state of New South Wales; fostering public appreciation, und ...

. They occur in southwestern and southeastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

.Clements, J. (2007) The male has a blue-grey head with a vertical white crescent in front of the eyes.

Naming

The common name for the species ''Spatula rhynchotis'' is Australasian shoveler no matter which country it is found in. It was previously categorised as two subspecies: * ''S. rhynchotis rhynchotis'' Australian shoveler, the nominate race, occurs in southwestern and southeastern

and

. * ''S. rhynchotis variegata'' New Zealand shoveler, occurs in

. Other names used include: spoonbill, shoveler, spoony, spoonie and shoveller. The

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

name is kuruwhengi. The Australasian shoveler was described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801.

Courtship and breeding in New Zealand

Courtship in New Zealand starts around August which involves vocalisations from the drake (male) accompanied with head-bobbing whilst swimming toward the duck (female). The most heard vocalisations are from the drakes in the form of a "Sock, sock-sock, sock, sock-sock". Often several drakes will pursue an already paired duck: Generally the mated males are aggressive and will not tolerate this behavior from the bachelors, and fighting may ensue. Courtship flights are common in the morning and evenings mostly, where the duck is followed in a short rapid flight by one or more (usually two) drakes. This tests the speed and agility of the drakes. The duck may be biased in picking the 'winner' in these tests however, especially if she has paired with one of the competitors. She will even sometimes excrete mid-flight on a pursuing male if he is especially not to her fancy. There is a clear and unexplained sex ratio difference with a lot more males to females. This difference is not present in broods of ducklings however. Males with a lot of white breast feathers are not usually paired. These white feathers are often a sign of an older shoveler as first year males almost never have them. Mating will occur as early as August, though nesting rarely happens until at least October.J. J. Holland. New Zealand Shoveler Observations. 2009

Gallery

File:Australasian_Shoveler.jpg, Female adult at

Lake Monger Galup, formerly Lake Monger (Noongar: Galup, Keiermulu) is a large urban wetland on the Swan Coastal Plain in suburban Wembley, Western Australia, nestled between the suburbs of Leederville, Wembley and Glendalough. Located less than from ...

File:Australasian Shoveler female RWD2.jpg, Female - Scotland Heights Waterfowl Park File:Australasian_Shoveler_Male.jpg, Male adult at

File:Australasian Shoveler male RWD4.jpg, Male - Scotland Heights Waterfowl Park File:A Flying Australian Shoveler.jpg, Male - Queen Elizabeth Park, New Zealand

Footnotes

References

* Clements, James (2007)
''The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World''
Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from1=Q259701, from2=Q28106912 Birds described in 1801 Birds of Australia Birds of New Zealand Ducks Spatula (genus) Taxa named by John Latham (ornithologist)