Cotton Pygmy Goose
Coromandel Call ducks, male
The Coromandel Pygmy Goose ( Nettapus coromandelianus ) is a species of Anatidae and is among the dabbling ducks. Their range extends from Southeast Asia to Australia. It is one of the smallest species of ducks. There are two subspecies. The nominate Nettapus coromandelianus coromandelianus, which is also known as Indian pygmy duck is limited in its spread to Asia. The Australian Coromandelzwergente ( N. c. Albipennis ) lives in the east of Australia. The nominate is slightly smaller than the Australian subspecies and is considered the smallest duck ever.
Appearance
Achieve Call ducks grown a body length 30-37 inches. Males reach an average weight of 403 grams, the females have an average of 380 grams only slightly lighter. However, very small females weigh sometimes only slightly more than 250 grams. In plumage the males resemble the females. The chest strap is missing at this time. However, they retain their wing coloration and also in this period a white head. The back is dull black.
The male of the Coromandel dwarf duck has a green mantle feathers and a narrow, black breast band. The somewhat stiff acting head is black on the top. The face is white. The under tail cover is black. The short beak is dark gray. The legs and feet are olive-gray. The eyes are red. The females have a striking reins Streif. The black headstock is broader than in the female. The face is overall somewhat gray or rahmfarben. The jacket is slightly brownish plumage, the eyes are not so striking reddish and the underparts is colored dull light gray. The wings of females are uniformly brown. Young birds are in their plumage to the females the same. In contrast to females, however, head and neck are densely interspersed with brown feathers.
The chicks are gray-brown on the top and have large, white spots on shoulders, wings and sides of the body. The headstock is black. The face is bright you have a long, dark eye stripe.
Possible confusion with other types
In their natural range Coromandel Call ducks are hard to confuse with any other species because of their small size. The Radjahgans is considerably larger and has a completely white head and neck. The greatest possibility of confusion exists with the Australian Miniature duck. This is true of similar small body size, but has a different wing color. The Coromandel Pygmy Goose is also lighter overall than this kind, the females and the young birds of the Australian Toy duck are also apparent in a shingled by the throat and chest.
Voice
Coromandel Call ducks are very ruffreudige ducks. The male has a loud, flashy rasping call, which is expressed especially in flight. The calls of the females are slightly softer. Aggressive excited Males call nasal grrr and rick reoo. Anxious males utter a nasal croak or a chak chak chak metallic. Call the females excited tuck tuck -it -it, and as a contact sound tick -a tick -a tick.
Distribution and population
The nominate is a breeding bird of the Indian subcontinent and also occurs in Sri Lanka and southern China. The - sometimes only in small numbers - populated regions include the Andaman Islands, the northern Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and north of New Guinea. The Australian subspecies occur in tropical and sub-tropical northeastern Australia. Main distribution area is the coastal region of Queensland.
The Coromandel Pygmy Goose is predominantly a state bird. In some areas it is during the dry season to train movements. Train movements are also found in the Chinese population, which draws in the lowlands of southern China in the winter half year from the extreme north of its range. Vagrants occasionally reach Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. In Bahrain and Oman are found regularly Coromandel Call ducks.
Stock figures are only estimated for this kind before. The global inventory was estimated in 2002 to 7,500 for the Australian subspecies and up to one million individuals in Asia. Overall, however, are little information. It applies overall but not regarded as endangered. The holdings of the Australian subspecies have, recovered since the 1960s, when the number of individuals was only 1500. However, they suffer from the spread of the entrained water hyacinth, which suffocates the local vegetation, thereby reducing the food supply for the Coromandel dwarf duck.
Habitat, food, and lifestyle characteristics
The Coromandel Pygmy Goose is a tropical breeds of ducks, which resides exclusively in fresh water. It prefers waters with a rich floating plants and submerged vegetation. They also colonized the park and temple ponds and shows where they will not be hunted, a low flight distance.
The Coromandel dwarf duck feeds almost exclusively vegetable. She appears very rarely and takes their food almost exclusively from the water surface or just below it to himself. While foraging they often swims with head stretched while durchseiht the water. She grabs occasionally by insects. They are diurnal and crepuscular ducks. In India, they stay on trees and temple roofs. The Australian subspecies is, however, only very rarely observed outside the water. They rest during the day between the leaves of floating vegetation. They are usually in pairs or in small to observe associations. Only during the moulting season occurs swarm formation.
Reproduction
About the propagation, the Coromandel Pygmy Goose are only little information. It nests usually in tree hollows, broods sometimes in or on the human buildings. In northeastern Australia their breeding season falls in the months of November to February. In India, however, the main breeding months are July and August. The nest site is chosen jointly by both parents birds. The Nistplatzwahl is part of the Balzrepertoires. The pair bond seems to be long-term, while only the female broods the young birds are led by two parental birds. The family association is also seen in the swarming season.
The size of the full scrim is unknown for wild Coromandel Call ducks, but seems to be six to nine eggs according to the current state of knowledge. The eggs are oval and smooth. They are cream to white in color.
Farming in Europe and North America
The Coromandel Pygmy Goose is very rarely kept in zoos. First imports of the Asian subspecies it had already been available in the 1930s, but started without the sustainable conservation breeding. It was imported back in the 1950s to Europe. However, the Indian sub arrived only in the 1980s in large numbers to Western Europe and North America. The Australian subspecies was almost never shown in zoos.
Coromandel Call ducks have been found to be very sensitive Pfleglinge. Initially, these ducks died still very early. Walsrode Bird Park, who held this kind in a tropical hall and a French zoo, however, were able to care for the animals over time. The European present affirmed succeeded only in 1989, a UK private holder.