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.
Notes: - The Australian Shoveler is an Australian dabbling duck which is also called the Blue-winged Shoveler, Southern Shoveler, or Spoonbill Duck.
WWT Slimbridge Video clips:
Current video:
Australian Shoveler - May & July 2013
More videos:
Australian Shoveler - April 2011
View these videos on Youtube