New Zealand Shoveler

The shoveler is a medium-sized duck with a large black spoon-shaped bill, yellow eyes, and orange legs. Males in breeding plumage have a blue-grey head and neck with a white crescent at the base of the bill, a mottled brown and white breast, chestnut flanks, and a white patch at the tail base. Females are mottled light brown with a dull brown bill and eyes, and brown-orange legs. Shovelers are commonly found in large freshwater wetlands but may also be sighted in sheltered estuaries and brackish lakes. The shoveler is a species that moves around a lot, with many birds likely traveling the entire length of New Zealand annually before returning to their breeding grounds.