Alternative names: White Pygmy-goose, White Dwarf-goose, White-quilled Pygmy-goose, White-quilled Dwarf-goose, Indian Pygmy-goose, Australian Pygmy-goose, Cotton Teal.
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, July-2016
- Nettapus coromandelianus
Identification
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, July-2016
30–38 cm (11¾-15 in)
Breeding Male
- Glossy black-green crown
- White head
- White neck
- White below
- Black collar
- White wing bar
- Green wings
Female
- Paler
- Lacks black collar
Eclipse male
- Similar to female
- White wing bar
Distribution
Asia and Australasia
Asia: Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Eastern and Western Himalayas, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Malay Peninsula, Singapore, Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, Greater Sundas, Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi
Australasia: Papua New Guinea, Australia: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Melanesia
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies:1
- N. c. coromandelianus
- Lowlands of India, southern Asia, Indonesia, and New Guinea
- N. c. albipennis
- Lowlands of coastal northeastern Australia
Habitat
Freshwater marshes, well vegetated ponds, lakes, lagoons and creeks.
Behaviour
Diet
A dabbling duck, they forage for seeds, grass and aquatic plants and will also eat insects.
Breeding
The clutch of 8-15 ivory eggs is laid in the nest which is made in a tree hole, lined with feathers and grass.
Gallery
Click on photo for larger image
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2015)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Cotton Pygmy Goose. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 September 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Cotton_Pygmy_Goose
External Links
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