Madagascar Pochard vs African Pygmy-goose
Aythya innotata compared with Nettapus auritus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Madagascar Pochard | African Pygmy-goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya innotata | Nettapus auritus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.4 cm (14.7 in) | 29.9 cm (11.8 in) |
| Weight | 685.0 g (24.16 oz) | 272.5 g (9.61 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal and freshwater habitats. | Filter-feeds on invertebrates and seeds; dabbles in shallow ponds; diet more plant-based outside spring breeding … |
| Clutch Size | 6-10 | 6-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Madagascar Pochard
Restricted to Lake Matsaborimena in the highlands of northern Madagascar at about 1,500 m altitude. Uses deep-water mountain lakes with aquatic vegetation. Critically Endangered; tiny wild population.
African Pygmy-goose
Freshwater lakes, ponds, and rivers with floating water lilies and other aquatic vegetation across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Tanzania. Nests in tree cavities near water. Highly dependent on water lily vegetation.
Song & Call Comparison
Madagascar Pochard
Critically Endangered; produces a soft, Aythya-like purring and grating quacking. Calls are not well-documented; likely similar to closely related Ferruginous Duck based on phylogeny.
African Pygmy-goose
Male produces a soft, wheezy whistle; female gives a quiet, duck-like quack. Pairs exchange rapid twittering notes during courtship on lily-covered African pools.
Geographic Range & Migration
Madagascar Pochard
Breeds across the northern boreal zone of Canada and Alaska; winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America.
African Pygmy-goose
Breeds across temperate to sub-Arctic Eurasia; winters in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Conservation Status
Madagascar Pochard
African Pygmy-goose
How to Tell Them Apart
Madagascar Pochard
Males have brown head and neck; dark brown back; pale gray flanks with white undertail. White eye. Blue-gray bill. Females browner with pale face patch and brown eye. Critically endangered; …
African Pygmy-goose
Tiny. Males have glossy dark green head with orange facial patch and ear spot; chestnut-orange flanks; white underparts; black and green back. Females duller with dark eye-stripe. Small yellow-green bill.
About These Birds
Madagascar Pochard
One of the world's rarest ducks; considered possibly extinct until 2006 rediscovery. A small brown pochard with a white eye in males. Found on an extremely small highland lake in Madagascar. Critically Endangered; intensive conservation efforts underway to save the tiny wild population.
African Pygmy-goose
A tiny jewel-like duck—one of Africa's smallest waterfowl. Males have iridescent green-and-white plumage, an orange bill, and a dark green cap; females are mottled brown. Found on lily-covered lakes in sub-Saharan Africa. Perches on water lily pads and feeds on their seeds and flowers.