MUSEUM OF NATURE

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 12

MUSEUM OF NATURE

N.Z. shoveller duck

(Contributed by the Canterbury Museum)

It may be a surprise to some that the shoveller, “spoonie” or “spoonbill” as it is sometimes known, is the second most abundant species of wild duck that frequents our mid-Canter-bury wetlands. Many readers might have thought the grey duck as next on the list of abundance after the introduced mallard. The pure grey duck is a comparatively rare sight on our lowland waters, largely because of interbreeding with mallard, but also because of their inability to survive in. the wide range of habitats that satisfy the mallards’ requirements. Despite the male shoveller being the most colourful of our ducks, the impression we get from the steadv number of reports that reach the Canterbury Museum of sightings of a “strange but beautifully coloured duck” is that the identification of this waterfowl often causes confusion; these birds inevitably turn out to be shoveller ducks. Striking colours Features of the shoveller drake which are most striking in the field are its white cheek crescents in front of the eye, the bright chestnut underparts, and the prominent white patch near the tail. The female however, is drably coloured; she is a mottled brown. Both sexes have a spoon-shaped bill, used for sieving their food from the water surface, and a green ,band-like speculum on the outer wing. Another characteristic is their body

profile on the water; it has a distinct squat appearance. Also of assistance in their identification is that comwith the mallard or grey duck the shoveller’s neck is shorter and its beak larger. Very little is known about the breeding habits of shoveller either in mid-Canterbury or elsewhere in New Zealand, one reason being the difficulty in locating their nests. It seems that a variety of nest sites are used, for example in long grass, under tussocks or lupins. The closely related Australian shoveller will nest in trees but this has not yet been reported in this country. On Lake Ellesmere In the vicinity of Christchurch perhaps one of the best places to observe shoveller is on the Bromley sewage ponds; another popular habitat is the north-

west corner of the AvonHeathcote Estuary; but the largest numbers occur on Lake Ellesmere. Throughout the breeding season shoveller can be seen courting and defending patches of water on the Estuary. Although found on lakes up to 2000 feet above sea level and on ponds and dams the shoveller shows a general preference for coastal lagoons. In addition to the New Zealand and closely related Australian shoveller are the Cape shoveller that occurs in South Africa, the Argentine red shoveller found in southern South America, and finally the common shoveller which occurs widely throughout the northern hemisphere. The drakes of the New Zealand shoveller are considered by many to have a plumage which is more brightly coloured than any other species of shoveller. — G.A.T.