The New Zealand shoveler (Anas rhynchotis variegata), also known as kuruwhengi, is a subspecies endemic to New Zealand. It belongs to the Anatidae family and Anseriformes order of swans, geese and ducks.
The male shoveler is New Zealand's most handsome duck, with variegated plumage, blue-grey head with a white vertical stripe between the eye and bill, a striking reddish-brown breast, and blue wings. Nature has lavished more beauty on the male than the less attractive female.
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