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Cotton Pygmy Goose
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cotton Pygmy Goose | ||||||||||||||
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 Male (behind), and female, race albipennis
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| Nettapus coromandelianus Gmelin, 1789 |
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The Cotton Pygmy Goose or the Cotton Teal,[2] Nettapus coromandelianus is a small perching duck which breeds in India, Pakistan, southeast Asia and south to northern Australia. It is locally known as Girri, Girria, Girja (Hindi); Gurgura (Etawah); Bali hans (Bengal); Bhullia hans (Bangladesh); Dandana (Orissa); Ade, Atla (Ratnagiri); Naher, Keeke, Chuwa (Nowgong, Assam); Baher, Kararhi (Sind, Pakistan).
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The smallest of the Indian wild ducks, white predominates in the plumage. Bill short, deep at base, and goose-like.
Male in breeding plumage is glossy blackish green crown, with white head, neck, and underparts; a prominent black collar and white wing-bar. Rounded head and short legs. In flight, the wings are green with a white band, making the male conspicuous even amongst the huge flying flocks of the Lesser Whistling Duck, which share the habitat. Female paler, without either black collar and only a narrow or nonexistent strip of white wing-bar. In non-breeding plumage (eclipse) male resembles female except for his white wing-bar. Flocks on water bodies (jheels), etc.
Call: A peculiar clucking, uttered in flight
It is largely resident, apart from dispersion in the wet season, but Chinese birds winter further south. It nests in tree holes, laying 8-15 eggs.
This is an abundant species in Asia, although the slightly larger Australian race appears to be declining in numbers.
Found on all still freshwater lakes (jheels), rain-filled ditches, inundated paddy fields, irrigation tanks, etc. Becomes very tame on village tanks wherever it is unmolested and has become inured to human proximity. Swift on the wing, and can dive creditably on occasion.
Chiefly seeds and vegetable matter, especially water lilies; also insects, crustaceans, etc.
Season- July to September (SW. monsoon). Nest- a natural hollow in a tree-trunk standing in or near water, sometimes lined with grass, rubbish and feathers. Eggs- 6 to 12, ivory white.
 Male bathing while Female looks at, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. |
 Male & Female in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. |
 Male & Female in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. |
 Male & Female in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. |
 Female with Lesser Whistling-duck in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. |
 Female in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. |
 Female in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. |
 Female in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. |
 Females resting with a Whiskered Tern near Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India. |
 Female at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India. |
 Male & Female in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. |
- ^ BirdLife International (2004). Nettapus coromandelianus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- ^ Ali, Salim; J C Daniel (1983). The book of Indian Birds, Twelfth Centenary edition. Bombay Natural History Society/Oxford University Press.
- Wildfowl by Madge and Burn, ISBN 0-7470-2201-1
- Birds of Goa (video)