AFRICAN PYGMY GOOSE 



NETTAPUS AURITUS (Boddaert) 



(Plate 9) 



Synonymy 

 Anas aurita Boddaert, Tabl. des Planches Enlumines, p. 48, 1783. 

 Anas madagascariensis Gmelin, Linne's Systema Naturae, ed. 13, vol. 1, pt. 2, p. 522, 



1788. 

 Nettapus madagascariensis Brandt, Descr. et Icones Anim. Ross. Nov., Aves, fasc. 1, 



p. 5, 1836. 

 Nettapus auritus G. R. Gray, List Genera Birds, p. 73, 1840. 

 Nettopus madagascariensis Sundevall, Meth. Nat. Av. Disp. Tentamen, p. 146, 1872. 



Vernacular Names 



English: 



Mozambique: 





African Dwarf Goose 



Sequiri 



African Pygmy Goose 



Madagascar: 



Eared Pygmy Goose 



Tatatsiry (Hova) 



French: 



Voronandriana (Hova) 



Sarcelle de Madagascar 



Maroampinga 



German: 



Soafify 



- Mai 



Afrikanische Zwergente 



Vorontsara J 







Arabic: 





Sililo 





DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male: Forehead, sides of head, and a collar around the neck white; top of head and a band 

 along hind neck, back, rump, upper wing-coverts, scapulars and tertials dark glossy green; on each 

 side of head and neck is an oblong pale-green patch separated from the white of the face and throat by 

 a narrow black band; lower neck, upper breast and flanks rufous chestnut; lower breast and abdomen 

 pure white; primaries and tail feathers black; a white speculum on the inner primaries and outer 

 secondaries ; under wing-coverts black. 



Iris dark brown to crimson; bill bright yellow to orange with blackish nail; legs and feet bluish 

 black. Hume believed that the iris changed to crimson during the breeding season. 



Length 315 mm.; wing 158; tarsus 25; culmen 25. 



Adult Female: Duller, more pale in color; no pale-green patch nor dark band on sides of neck, face 

 being spotted and mottled with brown. 



Iris dark brown; bill darker than in male, being dusky yellow, almost black at the tip; legs bluish 

 black shading to yellowish gray on outer side. Size same as in male. 



