Cotton Pygmy Goose

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 non-breeding visitor.

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Location: Most old sightings were from the restricted Poyan Reservoir. Recent sightings were from Kranji Marsh, MacRitchie Reservoir , Satay by the Bay, Lorong Halus and Bishan-AMK Park.

Photos:

Subadult female Cotton Pygmy Goose at Satay by the Bay. Photo credit: Francis Yap

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.

A pair of subadult Cotton Pygmy Goose at Satay by the Bay. Photo credits: Francis Yap

Cotton Pygmy Goose at Lorong Halus. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Cotton Pygmy Goose at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Photo credit: 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.

External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Photos: Oriental Bird Images
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Nettapus coromandelianus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. Downloaded on 2 September 2021
Robson, C. (2008). A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. New Holland Publishers.