150 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



Genus Spatula. 

 Bill spoon-shaped, no soft membranes on the sides towards 

 the tip. 



The Common Shoveller. 



Spatula clypeata. 

 Nesting in Northern Hemisphere and in winter to Africa, India, 

 China, and in America to Colombia and West Indies, accidental in 

 Australia. 



Australia7i Museum. 

 The Australian Shoveller: Spatula rhynchotis. 



Adult male; Head and upper part of neck glossy green; lower neck, 

 breast, and anterior scapulars white; middle of back dark brown, feathers 

 with pale edges; rump greenish black; lower breast chestnut; flanks 

 freckled with brown; upper wing-coverts and portions of scapulars pale 

 blue; rest of scapulars black, with a white stripe along the middle; white 

 band on the wings, and joining the speculum; tail white and freckled. 

 Total length 20 inches, wing 10.25, tail 3.75, culmen 2.75, tarsus 1.4. 



Nest a depression in the ground among short vegetation and 

 lined with down. Clutch from eight to thirteen, greenish-buff 

 in colour, and they measure about 2.15 x 1.50 inch. 



These birds are very rare in Australia. 



