African Pygmy-goose vs Common Shelduck
Nettapus auritus 对比 Tadorna tadorna
Side-by-Side Comparison
| 属性 | African Pygmy-goose | Common Shelduck |
|---|---|---|
| 学名 | Nettapus auritus | Tadorna tadorna |
| 目 | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| 科 | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| 保护状况 | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| 体长 | — | — |
| 翼展 | 29.9 cm (11.8 in) | 62.8 cm (24.7 in) |
| 体重 | 272.5 g (9.61 oz) | 1035.5 g (36.53 oz) |
| 食性 | Filter-feeds on invertebrates and seeds; dabbles in shallow ponds; diet more plant-based outside spring breeding … | Eats seeds, leaves, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet broadly omnivorous and varies … |
| 产卵数 | 6-12 | 3-18 |
| 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.
Common Shelduck
Coastal estuaries, mudflats, saltmarshes, sand dunes, and inland saline lakes from northwest Europe east across Eurasia to China. Winters mainly on tidal estuaries and coastal wetlands. Nests in burrows.
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.
Common Shelduck
Male gives a whistled 'wheee'; female gives a cackling series of rapid nasal 'ak-ak-ak' notes. One of the most sexually dimorphic calls of any shelduck species.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Pygmy-goose
Breeds across temperate to sub-Arctic Eurasia; winters in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Common Shelduck
Breeds in Siberian tundra; winters in eastern and southern Africa, and in South and Southeast Asia. Trans-hemispheric migrant.
保护状况
African Pygmy-goose
Common Shelduck
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.
Common Shelduck
White body with dark green head, broad chestnut breastband, and black scapular stripes. Red bill with basal knob in males. Green speculum and black wingtips. Underparts white with black belly …
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.
Common Shelduck
翘鼻麻鸭是欧亚大陆西部沿海地区最常见的大型鸭子，以其鲜红色的嘴部（雄鸟具肉瘤）、黑绿色头部、栗色胸带和白色体羽的对比色彩著称，外形华丽。繁殖于欧洲和中亚，越冬于地中海、北非和中国南部。常在兔子洞或沙丘中营巢，以软体动物（主要是泥螺）和甲壳类为食。