Green Pygmy Goose
Encyclopedia
The Green Pygmy Goose is a small perching duck
which breeds in southern New Guinea
and northern Australia
.
First described in 1842 by the ornithologist John Gould
, its specific name is derived from diminutive of the Latin
adjective pulcher "pretty". It is one of three species in the Afro-Asian genus Nettapus, an ancient and unusual group of ducks. No subspecies are recognised.
Ranging from 30 to 36 cm (12–14 in) in length, it is one of the smallest species of duck
. It has a 48 to 60 cm (19–24 in) wingspan
. It has a small bill and compact form. The breeding male has a predominantly dark green back, neck and crown, white cheeks and dark green, pale grey and white scalloped underparts. The tail and primary flight feather
s and primary coverts
are black, while the secondary flight feathers are white. The secondary coverts are a dark iridescent green. This iridescence is lost outside of the breeding season and the plumage
is duller. It exhibits sexual dimorphism
, the female has a barred rather than green neck and otherwise resembles the non-breeding male. Immature birds are duller, and have mottled dark brown heads.
The male has a high-pitched whistle and the female a lower-pitched call.
The Green Pygmy Goose is found in southern New Guinea and across northern Australia (from Western Australia, through Northern Territory
and into Queensland
). To the west, it commonly reaches Timor-Leste, where it possibly breeds at Lake Iralalara. It is largely resident, apart from dispersion in the wet season. The habitat is well vegetated lowland lagoons and other permanent fresh waters.
The Green Pygmy Goose nests in tree hollows. Eight to twelve eggs are laid and the incubation period is 26 days.
Perching duck
The perching ducks were previously treated as a small group of ducks in the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae, grouped together on the basis of their readiness to perch high in trees...
which breeds in southern New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
First described in 1842 by the ornithologist John Gould
John Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
, its specific name is derived from diminutive of the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
adjective pulcher "pretty". It is one of three species in the Afro-Asian genus Nettapus, an ancient and unusual group of ducks. No subspecies are recognised.
Ranging from 30 to 36 cm (12–14 in) in length, it is one of the smallest species of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
. It has a 48 to 60 cm (19–24 in) wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
. It has a small bill and compact form. The breeding male has a predominantly dark green back, neck and crown, white cheeks and dark green, pale grey and white scalloped underparts. The tail and primary flight feather
Flight feather
Flight feathers are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges while those on the tail are called rectrices . Their primary function is to aid in the generation of both thrust and lift, thereby...
s and primary coverts
Covert (feather)
A covert feather on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts, which as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail.- Wing-coverts :...
are black, while the secondary flight feathers are white. The secondary coverts are a dark iridescent green. This iridescence is lost outside of the breeding season and the plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is duller. It exhibits sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, the female has a barred rather than green neck and otherwise resembles the non-breeding male. Immature birds are duller, and have mottled dark brown heads.
The male has a high-pitched whistle and the female a lower-pitched call.
The Green Pygmy Goose is found in southern New Guinea and across northern Australia (from Western Australia, through Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and into Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
). To the west, it commonly reaches Timor-Leste, where it possibly breeds at Lake Iralalara. It is largely resident, apart from dispersion in the wet season. The habitat is well vegetated lowland lagoons and other permanent fresh waters.
The Green Pygmy Goose nests in tree hollows. Eight to twelve eggs are laid and the incubation period is 26 days.