Cotton pygmy goose | |
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Male (left) followed by a female, race albipennis | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Anseriformes |
Family: | Anatidae |
Genus: | Nettapus |
Species: | N. coromandelianus
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Binomial name | |
Nettapus coromandelianus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
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Subspecies | |
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Range
Cotton pygmy goose (N. c. coromandelianus)
Cotton pygmy goose (N. c. albipennis)
African pygmy goose
Green pygmy goose
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The cotton pygmy goose or cotton teal (Nettapus coromandelianus) is a small perching duck which breeds in Asia, Southeast Asia extending south and east to Queensland where they are sometimes called white-quilled pygmy goose. They are among the smallest waterfowl in the world and are found in small to large waterbodies with good aquatic vegetation. They are usually seen in pairs or larger groups of pairs, roosting and nesting on trees near water. They are strong fliers and are known to disperse widely, especially in winter. Their breeding season coincides with the rains.