New Zealand Shoveler ( Anas rhynchotis variegata )
The shoveler duck is rarely seen away from water or above 350 metres
. It is reported to be the fastest flying waterfowl, and their swift flight aids survival.
The shoveler swims with its bill submerged, sieving food from the water surface and even from mud. As soon as a chick hatches, the broad bill is the predominant feature.
The shoveler is one of the few native species not protected, with about 30,000 birds shot each year during the duck-hunting season. It is the first New Zealand duck to take refuge from hunters on open ocean. Original public domain image from Flickr