Cotton Pygmy Goose

Cotton Pygmy Goose
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Nettapus coromandelianus

Malay Name: Belebas Kapas

Chinese Name: 棉凫

Alternative Name(s): Cotton Teal, Indian Pygmy-Goose

Range: Found from Indian subcontinent, Southern China, mainland Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia to Northern Australia.

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: coromandelianus, albipennis.

Local Subspecies: coromandelianus

Size: 33-38 cm

Identification: Male has blackish cap, white head-sides/neck and underparts, grey-washed flanks, glossed green upperparts and blackish collar. Non-breeding male has more greyish head-sides and flanks, a thick eyestripe and no obvious collar. Female and juvenile resemble non-breeding male but has duller/browner plumage.

Habitat: Marshes and other suitable freshwater wetlands.

Behaviour/Ecology: Forages for seeds, grass and aquatic plants and will also take insects.

Local Status: Rare visitor

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Nov 2023

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Cotton Pygmy Goose at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Cotton Pygmy Goose at Lorong Halus. Photo credit: Francis Yap
A pair of subadult Cotton Pygmy Goose at Satay by the Bay. Photo credits: Francis Yap
Male Cotton Pygmy Goose at Bidor, Malaysia. Photo Credit: Chong Boon Leong
Female Cotton Pygmy Goose at Bidor, Malaysia. Photo Credit: Chong Boon Leong.
A pair of Cotton Pygmy Goose in flight at Satay by the Bay. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Subadult male Cotton Pygmy Goose at Satay by the Bay. Photo credit: Francis Yap.
Subadult female Cotton Pygmy Goose at Satay by the Bay. Photo credit: Francis Yap
External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Cotton Pygmy-Goose)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Nettapus coromandelianus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680090A92842427.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Cotton Pygmy Goose. Retrieved on July 17, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/cotton-pygmy-goose.

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