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Inspiring and Supporting Photographers of Australian Birds

Australasian Shoveler

Australasian Shoveler (Image ID 39125)
Photographed byJim Schultz on Sun 17th Aug, 2008 and uploaded on Tue 18th Feb, 2020 .
Resolution1400x898
Viewed412
ID39125
CommentIt should be noted that by 2020 various authorities has the Australian Shoveler down as either 'Spatula rhynchotis' or Anas rhynchotis'. The Australasian Shoveler is an omnivorous, sexually dimorphic dabbler, living on insects, tiny crustaceans and a variety of aquatic plant matter. Food items are filtered out by the bill lamellae, during dabbling. The species feeds mainly on open water, and when upending their bright orange legs become a distinct feature. During breeding season, the males colour up and engage in dramatic, communal mating displays, where males outnumber the females. The species is dispersive, following rains to breed and breeding may hence take place at any time of the year. Broods are rarely active during the day and not often seen. Habitat of choice is undisturbed wetlands with thick shore vegetation and open water. The Australasian Shoveler is gregarious, congregating in flocks mixed with other duck species. Curiously, in a flock at Bibra Lake, males outnumbered females by about 4:1.In this image of a pair in flight, a male shadows a female during a mating ritual. Herdsman Lake. Status: Least Concern
EquipmentNikon D3 camera body, Nikkor 80-400 f4.5-5.6G ED VR IF N lens, Manfrotto Article 055B tripod, Manfrotto Video Pro Article 136 tripod head. Camera Settings: Aperture Priority f5, EV -0.3 step; shutter speed 1/4000 sec & ISO-400. Metering Mode: MATRIX, Focus Mode: AF-C; AF Area Mode: DYNAMIC (9 points) Nikon ViewNX-i for viewing and selecting files; Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw/CC 2020 for post-processing; Topaz Pro plug-ins Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI & Studio 2 for sharpening and noise control. ‘Australian Bird Guide 2019’ for supplementary data and colour checks.
LocationHerdsman Lake, Western Australia
Keywordsmale, female, in flight, adult, breeding plumage/features, behaviour/display
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