Australasian shoveler
The Australasian shoveler (Anas rhynchotis) is a species of dabbling duck in the genus Anas. It ranges from 46–53 cm. It lives in heavily vegetated swamps. In Australia it is protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974. They occur in southwestern and southeastern Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.
The male has a blue-grey head with a vertical white crescent in front of the eyes.
The status of the Australasian shoveler is Least Concern.
Naming
The correct common name for Anas rhynchotis is Australasian shoveler no matter which country it is found in. It was previously categorised as two subspecies:
Other names used include: spoonbill, shoveler, spoony, spoonie and shoveller. The Māori name of kuruwhengi is still valid.
The Australasian shoveler was described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under its current binomial name, Anas rhynchotis.
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