Male - The male Red Shoveler has a pale buff head and neck stippled with black with a darker stripe on the crown running down the nape, a large black spatula shaped beak, pale eyes, black spotted red chestnut body, black lower back and rump, black tail with white outer feathers, underside of wings are white and the upper wing has a light blue patch and iridescent green speculum.
Female - The female is brownish-grey with plain grey-brown head, brown eyes, and also has the distinctive large spatula shaped beak.
Size: - Typical Adult is 45-56cm (16-33in).
Food: - Aquatic plants, seeds, weeds, invertebrates, insects, worms, and molluscs.
Habitat/Range: - Wetlands, shallow lakes, pools, marshes, lagoons, and estuaries in Chile, Argentina, southern Peru, southern Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay. They are partially migratory and breeding birds may winter further north to Peru.
Breeding Season: - Begins September or October.
Eggs: - 5 to 8 (creamy-white colour).
Notes: - The Red Shoveler is a South American dabbling duck. It has a very distinctive large spatula shaped beak which it uses to filter food such as small animals, insects, and plankton from the water.
Conservation status (IUCN 3.1):
Classification: - Family: Anatidae,
Subfamily: Anatinae, Genus: Anas.