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Cotton Pygmy-Goose
(Nettapus coromandelianus)
: "White-quilled Pygmy Goose", "White-quilled Goose-teal",
"Cotton Teal", "White Pygmy-goose"
Aboriginal name(s): "widgelow"
Size: 34-38 cm
Weight: 255-440 g
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Cotton Pygmy-Geese are small geese with glossy black-green
back and cap, white face and neck and greyish-brown underparts.
Male
Cotton Pygmy-Geese have a prominent dark breast ring separating
the white neck from the more greyish underparts.
The females'
plumage shows less
contrast, they are more greyish (dusky) overall and they have a dark
eye stripe that males don't have.
The irises of both sexes are dark, the bill is mottled black, the
legs and feet are light-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Cotton
Pygmy-Goose at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Cotton Pygmy-Goose is available
HERE
.
Cotton Pygmy-Geese are found in two major areas, on both
sides of the equator.
In the northern hemisphere, the range of nominate race
"coromandelianus"
extends from eastern Pakistan through India, Bangladesh,
Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam into Malaysia. They are
also found on the Andaman Islands and the Maldives.
There are also occasional reports of them wintering in
northern and eastern Arabia (the UAE and Oman).
South of the equator, Cotton Pygmy-Geese are
found in parts of New Guinea and in north-eastern
Australia.
Race "albipennis"
are endemic to Australia. They populate the coastal regions and adjacent
hill ranges of QLD, from about Cape Melville in the North to the QLD/NSW
border in the South.
Cotton Pygmy-Geese like wetlands, such as swamps and
lagoons,
dominated by floating vegetation, e.g. waterlilies.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "albipennis"
Cotton Pygmy-Geese, race
"albipennis",
were first spotted by us in the wetlands of Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon,
in July 2009. Special access to the wetlands kindly granted by the
owners of Capricorn Resort is most gratefully acknowledged.
B. Hensen reports spotting Cotton Pygmy-Geese, race
"albipennis",
at Catana Wetlands, Cairns, in July 2013.
We next spotted Cotton Pygmy-Geese, race
"albipennis",
at Wooroolin Wetlands, Wooroolin, QLD, in June 2017.
M. Eaton reports finding a Cotton Pygmy-Goose, race
"albipennis",
at Springfield Lakes, QLD, in July 2018, and in Gympie, QLD, in August
2018.
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Photos |
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Race "albipennis"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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BREEDING |
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Frontal view of a male Cotton Pygmy-Goose in breeding
plumage - note
the well-defined dark collar and the high contrast between
white and dark parts; in the background, for comparison, a
Dusky Moorhen
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chatsworth Park, Gympie, QLD, August 2018]
Lateral view of a male Cotton Pygmy-Goose in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chatsworth Park, Gympie, QLD, August 2018]
Lateral view of a male Cotton Pygmy-Goose in breeding
plumage;
in the foreground, for comparison, a
Dusky Moorhen
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chatsworth Park, Gympie, QLD, August 2018]
Lateral view of a male Cotton Pygmy-Goose in breeding
plumage, front,
and a female behind
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chatsworth Park, Gympie, QLD, August 2018]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Cotton Pygmy-Goose in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chatsworth Park, Gympie, QLD, August 2018]
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NON-BREEDING |
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Lateral view of a male Cotton Pygmy-Goose in non-breeding
plumage - note
the smudgy collar (photo courtesy of B. Hensen);
click on image to also see, for comparison, two Green Pygmy-Geese
[Catana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
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FEMALE |
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Close-up frontal view of a female Cotton Pygmy-Goose
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Springfield Lakes, QLD, July 2018]
Close-up lateral view of a female Cotton Pygmy-Goose
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Springfield Lakes, QLD, July 2018]
Close-up lateral view of a female Cotton Pygmy-Goose
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Springfield Lakes, QLD, July 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a female Cotton Pygmy-Goose
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Springfield Lakes, QLD, July 2018]
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Food, Diet |
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Near-lateral view of a female Cotton Pygmy-Goose feeding
on aquatic plants
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Springfield Lakes, QLD, July 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.