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Australasian Shoveler (Spatula [Anas] rhynchotis) Alternate name(s): "Australian Shoveler", "Blue-winged Shoveler", "Southern Shoveler", "Spoonbill-duck", "Stinker" Aboriginal name(s): "bardoongooba" (WA); "thowla" Size: 45-54 cm Body mass: 550-850 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description The plumage of Australasian Shovelers is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Males have a mottled brown body, mottled dark-brown upperwing plumage and a dark blue-grey head with a narrow vertical white stripe between eyes and bill. Females are all mottled brown and thereby quite similar to other female ducks, such as e.g. Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal and Chestnut Teal. Both sexes have yellow irises and a long, spatula-shaped black bill. The legs and webbed feet are orange. Australasian Shovelers are the only Australian ducks with a whirring wing beat.

Taxonomy, classification See Australasian Shoveler at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Australasian Shoveler is available HERE . Australasian Shovelers are found in Australia and in New Zealand. Nominate race "rhynchotis" is endemic to Australia. The range of the Australasian Shoveler comprises two main parts: A 100-200 km wide strip along the West coast of WA and the eastern part of the continent, including the south-eastern half of QLD, all of NSW and VIC and the eastern-most part of SA (including the Lake Eyre Basin). They are found in Tasmania as well. Australasian Shovelers are usually found in densely vegetated wetlands, such as swamps, freshwater lakes ephemeral floodwaters. They also inhabit estuaries and tidal flats, with brackish to saline water. Where to look? How to find this species? Australasian Shovelers are fond of eutrophic (nutrient-rich) water. As a consequence, the easiest way to find them may often be to have a look around the settling ponds of sewage treatment works.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "rhynchotis" An Australasian Shoveler, race "rhynchotis", was first spotted by us in July 2010 at Narrabri Lake, Narrabri, NSW. Since then they have been irregular visitors at Narrabri Lake. Subsequently, a pair of Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", was spotted by us at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake about 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW, in April/May 2011 and again in December 2012. Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", can be found in various kinds of wetlands in or near the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. They have been spotted by us, e.g., at Dangar's Lagoon, near Uralla, NSW, Old Quipolly Dam near Quirindi, NSW, and the Warialda, NSW, sewage treatment works. C. Hayne reports that Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", were common in various wetlands around Moree, NSW, prior to a major flood event in February 2012, after which they have become uncommon in the area. They were seen again, in increasing numbers, during the winter of 2013. The farthest to the West we have spotted Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", so far is the Burren Junction Bore Bath, some 100 km to the West of Narrabri, NSW, where at least 5 birds were seen in December 2015. Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", were also seen by us in the Hunter River estuary near Newcastle, NSW, at Hunter Wetlands NP, in July 2013. J. Greaves reports spotting Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", at Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, in January 2015 and again in August 2015. M. Eaton reports spotting an Australasian Shoveler, race "rhynchotis", at South West Rocks, NSW, in July 2017, and at Beardy Waters Dam, Glen Innes, NSW, in July 2019. M. Eaton also found Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", at Beeliar North Lake, Cockburn, WA, in April 2019. B. Hensen reports finding Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", at Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, in June 2019. R. Plumtree reports finding Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", in Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, in August 2019. C. Pears found Australasian Shovelers, race "rhynchotis", occasionally in various locations in Perth, WA.

Photos

Race "rhynchotis"

ADULT

PAIR

BREEDING

Frontal view of a pair of resting Australasian Shovelers, male in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a pair of Australasian Shovelers, male in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, May 2023]

Lateral view of a pair of Australasian Shovelers, male in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, May 2024]

(Near-)dorsal view of a pair of Australasian Shovelers, male in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, May 2024]

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of a pair of Australasian Shovelers, male in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, September 2022]

MALE

BREEDING

Frontal view of a male Australasian Shoveler in breeding plumage; note the broad bill for filter-feeding
(photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2020]

Frontal view of 2 male Australasian Shovelers in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2025]

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Australasian Shoveler in breeding plumage resting with Eurasian Coots
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beardy Waters Dam, Glen Innes, NSW, July 2019]

Near-lateral view of a male Australasian Shoveler in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2019]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Australasian Shoveler in breeding plumage stretching a wing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beardy Waters Dam, Glen Innes, NSW, July 2019]

Close-up lateral view of a male Australasian Shoveler in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beardy Waters Dam, Glen Innes, NSW, July 2019]

Close-up lateral view of a male Australasian Shoveler in breeding plumage resting in shallow water; note the charactristic orange legs
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, August 2015]

Close-up lateral view of a male Australasian Shoveler in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2025]

Close-up lateral view of a male Australasian Shoveler in breeding plumage showing off (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2025]

Lateral view of two male Australasian Shovelers in breeding plumage, one of which is showing its turquoise-green speculum
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, May 2021]

Near-dorsal view of 2 male Australasian Shovelers in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2025]

Australasian Shovelers in breeding plumage, one of which is showing a turquoise iridescence on its head
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, May 2021]

Dorsal view of a male Australasian Shoveler in breeding plumage
[Warialda, NSW, April 2014]

Male Australasian Shoveler feeding with its tail up; note the characteristic brown-black appearance, with orange legs
[Old Quipolly Dam, Quirindi, NSW, December 2013]

Size comparison of Australasian Shovelers with a Great Cormorant (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, April 2021]

Size comparison of a male Australasian Shoveler with an Australian Pelican (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, April 2021]

Size comparison of a male Australasian Shoveler with a Pink-eared Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, May 2021]

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of a male Australasian Shoveler in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, May 2021]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a filter-feeding female Australasian Shoveler - note the water being pressed out the sides of its bill
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, June 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Australasian Shoveler with water running out of its bill (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, June 2019]

Lateral view of a female Australasian Shoveler (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2019]

Lateral view of a female Australasian Shoveler (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, September 2022]

Lateral view of a female Australasian Shoveler with water running out of its bill
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, June 2019]

Lateral view of a filter-feeding female Australasian Shoveler - note the water being pressed out the of its bill
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, June 2019]

Lateral view of a female Australasian Shoveler wading through shallow water - note the bright orange legs and feet
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, June 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of two Australasian Shovelers: sub-adult male on the left and adult male on the right
[Warialda, NSW, April 2014]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a sub-adult Australasian Shoveler - note the yellow iris and the greyish bill
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, November 2024]

Lateral view of an Australasian Shoveler duckling (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[10 km north of Collie, NSW, October 2020]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Vagrant/dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/small group

As filter-feeding birds taking microscopic particles out of water, Australasian Shovelers can regularly be found in eutrophic water, in particular in sewage treatment works.

Three Australasian Shovelers on a sewage treatment pond; from left to right an adult male, a sub-adult male and a female
[Warialda, NSW, April 2014]

Food, Diet

Close-up lateral view of a filter-feeding male Australasian Shoveler (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, September 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a male Australasian Shoveler with a plant filament stuck in its bill
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, September 2022]

Frontal view of a filter-feeding female Australasian Shoveler - note the water being pressed out the sides of its bill
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, June 2019]

Lateral view of a filter-feeding female Australasian Shoveler - note the water being pressed out the sides of its bill
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, June 2019]

One of three Australasian Shovelers on a sewage treatment pond seen filter-feeding
[Warialda, NSW, April 2014]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

ausshov_20151222.mp3	rhynchotis (NW NSW)	Contact calls (male)	© MD
ausshov_cp_20250726.m4a	rhynchotis (SW WA)	Competing males	© CP
ausshov_cp_20250713.m4a	rhynchotis (SW WA)	Competing males, one flying off	© CP

We have also been able to record the wingbeats of Australasian Shovelers.

ausshov_20250601.m4a

rhynchotis (SW WA)

3 flying off (+ Pink-eared Duck)

© MD

More Australasian Shoveler sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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