African Pygmy-goose vs White-headed Duck
Nettapus auritus compared with Oxyura leucocephala
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Pygmy-goose | White-headed Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nettapus auritus | Oxyura leucocephala |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.9 cm (11.8 in) | 29.7 cm (11.7 in) |
| Weight | 272.5 g (9.61 oz) | 705.0 g (24.87 oz) |
| Diet | Filter-feeds on invertebrates and seeds; dabbles in shallow ponds; diet more plant-based outside spring breeding … | Dives for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant roots in Mediterranean and Central Asian wetlands. Critically … |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 3-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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
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.
White-headed Duck
Male produces a mechanical, rapid bill-drumming; female gives a harsh, grating quack. The drumming staccato display is the same pattern as other Oxyura stiff-tails; heard on Eurasian steppe lakes.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Pygmy-goose
Breeds across temperate to sub-Arctic Eurasia; winters in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
White-headed Duck
Breeds in Spain, Turkey, central Asia, and Mongolia. Winters in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and northern India. Globally endangered.
Conservation Status
African Pygmy-goose
White-headed Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
White-headed Duck
Male has entirely white head with small black crown patch, rich chestnut-brown body, and large bulbous powder-blue bill. Female is brown with pale whitish face divided by dark streak across …
About These Birds
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.
White-headed Duck
A stiff-tailed duck (~705 g) of family Anatidae, males with a distinctive white head and swollen blue bill. Breeds on brackish and freshwater lakes in Spain and Central Asia; winters in Mediterranean and Central Asian wetlands. Dives for aquatic vegetation and invertebrates. Endangered due to hunting, hybridization with introduced Ruddy Duck, and wetland loss.