Cotton Pygmy-Goose

1. Males have a white head and underparts with a dark crown and neck collar.

2. Females display a strong dark eye-stripe across a pale face.

3. Both sexes are very small and float high on the water.

These birds feed mainly at the water’s surface, picking seeds, flowers, and leaves of aquatic plants, as well as small aquatic animals like insects, molluscs, and crustaceans. They do not dive or up-end like some other ducks. Cotton Pygmy-Geese are strong, agile fliers and are capable of rapid, low flights over water. Breeding occurs during the rainy season, which expands their preferred wetland habitats. Nests are placed in tree hollows near water, with females laying 6–12 eggs. The female incubates the eggs, and ducklings leap from the nest to follow their parents to water soon after hatching`.`

Cotton Pygmy-Geese are found in tropical Asia, Southeast Asia, and northeastern Australia, particularly in Queensland. They prefer still or slow-moving freshwater habitats such as lagoons, ponds, and billabongs with abundant floating plants like waterlilies. They are often seen in pairs or small groups, foraging among vegetation or resting on logs near the water’s edge. In Australia, they are most commonly observed in regions such as Townsville, Cairns, and the Atherton Tablelands, with their presence closely tied to seasonal water availability`.`