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Cotton Pygmy-Goose (Nettapus coromandelianus) Alternate name(s): "White-quilled Pygmy Goose", "White-quilled Goose-teal", "Cotton Teal", "White Pygmy-goose" Aboriginal name(s): "widgelow" Size: 34-38 cm Body mass: 255-440 g

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Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description 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.

Taxonomy, classification See Cotton Pygmy-Goose at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species 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. Cotton Pygmy-Geese, 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. Where to look? How to find this species? Cotton Pygmy-Geese are usually found by us around floating vegetation such as, e.g., water lilies.

Sightings 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 Cattana 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. In August 2023 M. Eaton also found Cotton Pygmy-Geese, race "albipennis", at Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD.

Photos

Race "albipennis"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Note the male's all-white sides of the head, left, compared to the female's mottled grey sides with dark-grey eye-stripe.

Lateral view of a pair of Cotton Pygmy-Geese, male in breeding plumage in front (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chatsworth Park, Gympie, QLD, August 2018]

Near-lateral/near-dorsal view of a pair of Cotton Pygmy-Geese; male in breeding plumage on the left
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, August 2023]

Lateral/dorsal view of a pair of Cotton Pygmy-Geese; male in breeding plumage in front (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, August 2023]

MALE

BREEDING

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]

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]

NON-BREEDING

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]

FEMALE

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]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Nomadic/dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/covey

Food, Diet

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.

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