Nettapus Auritus

The African Pygmy Goose is a perching duck from the sub-Saharan Africa area. They are the smallest of Africa’s wildfowl, and one of the smallest in the world. The average weight of a male is about 10 oz. (285 grams) and for the female about 9 oz. (260 grams). Their wingspan is between 5.6 inches to 6.5 inches (142 millimeters to 165 millimeters). The African pygmy goose has a short bill which extends up the forehead so they resemble geese. The males have a white face with black eye patches. The iridescent black crown extends down the back of the neck. The upper half of the fore neck is white whereas the base of the neck and breast are light chestnut colored. The sixteen tail feathers are black. The wing feathers are black with metallic green iridescence on the coverts. The belly is white. The bill is yellow with a black tip and the feet are dark-gray to black. The female has a gray face with a dark brown eye stripe and smudged brown patches on the cheeks and nape. She has a dark-brown forehead, crown and back of neck with a slight iridescence. The breast and flanks have a dark chestnut coloration. The back is dark brown and the wing feathers are dark brown-black. The belly is white. The bill is yellow, the upper part mottled brown with a dark brown tip and the feet are also dark-gray to black.