Common Scoter vs African Pygmy-goose

Melanitta nigra 对比 Nettapus auritus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

属性 Common Scoter African Pygmy-goose
学名 Melanitta nigra Nettapus auritus
Anseriformes Anseriformes
Anatidae Anatidae
保护状况 Least Concern Least Concern
体长
翼展 44.2 cm (17.4 in) 29.9 cm (11.8 in)
体重 1127.25 g (39.76 oz) 272.5 g (9.61 oz)
食性 Dives for bivalves, especially cockles, mussels, and clams, in shallow coastal seas. Also eats crustaceans … Filter-feeds on invertebrates and seeds; dabbles in shallow ponds; diet more plant-based outside spring breeding …
产卵数 6-8 6-12
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

共同栖息地

Common Scoter only

African Pygmy-goose only

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.

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Song & Call Comparison

Common Scoter

鸣唱

Male gives a soft, piping whistle; female produces a harsh, rasping call. The male's piping whistle is subtle; female's harsh calls dominate on European winter coasts and estuaries.

African Pygmy-goose

鸣唱

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.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Common Scoter

Breeds on moorland and boreal tundra from Iceland and Britain east to western Siberia. Winters on northwestern European coasts and the Baltic Sea.

African Pygmy-goose

Breeds across temperate to sub-Arctic Eurasia; winters in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

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保护状况

Least Concern

Common Scoter

Least Concern

African Pygmy-goose

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How to Tell Them Apart

Common Scoter

羽毛

Male is entirely sooty black without white markings; orange-yellow patch on upper bill with small black knob. Female brownish-black above with contrasting pale cream cheeks and throat.

African Pygmy-goose

羽毛

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.

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About These Birds

Common Scoter

黑海番鸭是欧亚大陆的黑色海鸭,雄鸟全身黑色,仅嘴基具明亮的橙黄色斑块;雌鸟褐色,脸颊浅色。繁殖于苏格兰、斯堪的纳维亚和西伯利亚北部,越冬于西欧和北非大西洋沿岸。善潜水,以软体动物和甲壳类为食,常在近岸浅海越冬。

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.

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