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Cotton Pygmy-Goose
Nettapus coromandelianus
Conservation Status
Endangered species in New South Wales (Threatened Species Conservation Act). At a national level, it is listed as a migratory species in the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
What does it look like?
It is a tiny duck with a small, dark, goose-like bill. The male has a white head, neck and underpants with a glossy green back that appears black in dull light. In breeding season, the male has a black band around the base of the neck. The female is predominantly brown with darker plumage on the wings. Both sexes have dark plumage on the forehead and crown.
Where does it live?
It is almost an entirely aquatic species. It prefers deep freshwater lagoons, swamps and dams, particularly those with waterlilies or other floating vegetation, such as hydrilla, ceratophyllum, vallisneria, najas, lemna and chara. They tend to avoid running water and require dead trees with hollows near water for nesting. In New South Wales the species is found in coastal and sub-coastal districts of north eastern NSW. The Cotton Pygmy-goose is more restricted in range than any other Australian native duck and its numbers are relatively few.
What does it eat and what is its life cycle?
It feeds on aquatic vegetation, particularly hydrilla and Pondweed. They dab and pick at the water surface or strip seeds and flowers from aquatic plants. Aquatic insects are also eaten. The species is known to be monogamous with clutch sizes thought to range from 6 to 16.
Updated: 21 Jun 2011
Related Links
- DEC - NSW Threatened Species Profile - Cotton Pygmy-Goose