African Pygmy-goose vs Red Shoveler
Nettapus auritus compared with Spatula platalea
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Pygmy-goose | Red Shoveler |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nettapus auritus | Spatula platalea |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.9 cm (11.8 in) | 42.0 cm (16.5 in) |
| Weight | 272.5 g (9.61 oz) | 511.6 g (18.05 oz) |
| Diet | Filter-feeds on invertebrates and seeds; dabbles in shallow ponds; diet more plant-based outside spring breeding … | Feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates in shallow water; diet shifts between plant matter and … |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 5-10 |
| 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.
Red Shoveler
Freshwater and brackish lakes, marshes, and seasonal lagoons in southern South America from Peru and Bolivia south through Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. Partially migratory; moves northward in winter.
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.
Red Shoveler
Male emits a low, grunting kuk note; female gives a quiet, rhythmic quacking series. Pairs are generally silent; soft contact calls heard at dusk on South American grassland ponds.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Pygmy-goose
Breeds across temperate to sub-Arctic Eurasia; winters in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Red Shoveler
Breeds in Iceland, Greenland, and Arctic Canada; winters along the coasts of northwestern Europe and the British Isles.
Conservation Status
African Pygmy-goose
Red Shoveler
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.
Red Shoveler
Males reddish-cinnamon with dense dark spotting; pale blue-gray head with white eye and dark streaks. Pale blue forewing and green speculum in flight. Broad spatulate bill. Females brown, mottled. South …
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.
Red Shoveler
A medium-sized shoveler with a distinctive spatula-shaped bill. Males are pale orange-brown with dark spots, grey-blue wing patch, and dark green speculum; females are mottled brown. Found across southern South America. Swims with bill tip in water, filtering zooplankton and seeds.