Most closely related to Northern Shoveler, this species occurs in
discreet populations, in eastern and western "corners" of southern Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand.
However dispersal due to drought is common and birds have been recorded over the whole of Australia, although extremely
rarely in the north. Vagrants have occurred from the NZ population as far as Auckland Island. A very local species,
and difficult to approach, I have not got a decent wild photo. The right-hand bird was taken in New Zealand, formerly
treated as a different race but now considered monotypic.
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HOMEPAGE
