Cotton pygmy goose (Nettapus coromandelianus)
Species name
- Dutch name:
- Indische pygmeegans
- English name:
- Cotton pygmy goose
- German name:
- Coromandel-Zwergente
- French name:
- Anserelle de Coromandel
- Scientific name:
- Nettapus coromandelianus
Scientific classification
- Order:
- Anseriformes
- Family:
- Anatidae
- Onderfamilie:
- Oxyurinae
- Genus:
- Nettapus
Description
- Description:
The cotton pygmy goose (N. c. coromandelianus) is one of the smallest waterfowl on earth.
Male:
has a white head, neck and underparts 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.Female:
is predominately brown with darker plumage on the wings. Both sexes have dark plumage on the forehead and crown.Juvenile:
Lacking any iridescence. Has boarder eyestripe and prominent mottling Brownish– gray on under parts .Young males have more white on wings.
Standard Measurements
- Body Length (cm):
- The male (drake) of the Cotton pygmy goose measures approximately 30-37 centimeters. The female measures approximately 30-37 centimeters.
- Body Weight (grams):
- The male will weight about 410 gram. The female will weight about 380 gram.
The weight is notoriously variable and can only be used as indication!
- Subspecies:
There are two recognized subspecies:
- Nettapus coromandelianus coromandelianus occurs in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, southeast Asia and New Guinea.
- Nettapus coromandelianus albipennis occurs in Australia.
- Note:
Cotton pygmy geese are delicate and breed extremely rarely in captivity. They may be best maintained fully-flighted in an aviary. A raised nest box should be provided. The normal laying period is May to September.
Ducklings apparently feed by straining small particles from the water. Feeding may be stimulated by rapidly moving fingers in a dish of water containing fine feed; this may be required for three weeks or more. Duckweed may also be useful to encourage feeding, but may itself be too large for young downies to eat. Supplemental tube feeding has been useful in downies during the initial rearing period.
Cotton pygmy-geese are more winter-hardy than the other pygmy geese and have been maintained outside even with weather sufficiently cold to partially freeze their pond, although they are still considered cold-sensitive.
Breeding may be best if birds of this species are kept in a colony on a large open sunny pond. Nest boxes 30x30x48cm, with a 9cm diameter hole 12cm from the top of the box should be provided, a ramp giving access to the box and nesting material (sawdust and fine shell grit) provided inside.
Parent-rearing has been successful where shallow water allowed small particles to be stirred up by the adults and eaten by the ducklings. Parents are good sitters and are attentive to the ducklings, usually rearing them.
- Breeding:
- The female Cotton pygmy goose usually lays from 6-9 creamy white eggs and incubates them for 28 days.
- Artificial incubating:
The ideal relative humidity for incubating most waterfowl eggs is 55% (ground nesters) and 40% (cavity nesters). The temperature is usually 37.4°C. Set ventilation as recommended by the incubator manufacturer. Eggs must be turned, either automatically or by hand, a minimum of 4 times a day. As the duckling develops there is a loss of water from the egg and the air sac gets bigger. In normal development of an egg with a 28 days incubation, the air sac occupies about a third of it three days earlier. Cleanliness is vital and ideally eggs should be moved to a separate hatcher at this point, where the humidity should be increased to 65% and even higher once they have pipped internally.
- Bird banding:
- Recommended closed leg band ring size for the Cotton pygmy goose is 6,5 mm.The leg band ring can only be applied on a young perching duck at around 10-12 days old.
- It doesn't matter what leg that you band, but it's good to have a consistent system. Suggested: Left leg = Female, Right leg = Male
- Rearingfeed:
-
Floatable special rearing feed for all ornamental waterfowl species, even for problematic eaters. This ideally balanced complete feed with 35% protein content forms the basis for healthy growth and lifelong vitality. Made exclusively from wholesome and selected raw materials, Lundi Micro is also ideally suited for the year-round feeding of waterfowl.
- Maintenance food:
-
Floatable special rearing feed for all ornamental waterfowl species, even for problematic eaters. This ideally balanced complete feed with 35% protein content forms the basis for healthy growth and lifelong vitality. Made exclusively from wholesome and selected raw materials, Lundi Micro is also ideally suited for the year-round feeding of waterfowl.
Photos of the Cotton pygmy goose
