The Australasian Shoveler strains small foods from the water with its broad bill. Breeding males are more brightly colored than females.
Its bill widens like a spatula at the tip. In breeding plumage, the male has a dark head and bright breast, while the female is mottled brown.
It sweeps its bill through shallow water to strain small animals and plant material.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.