African Pygmy Goose

The African Pygmy Goose is a small Anatidae (30-35 cm, weighing under 300 g), easily recognizable by its white face, its reddish underside and its dark green back.
The adult male in its nuptial plumage is especially distinguished by its entirely pure white face, its vivid orange bill with a black nail, and at the back of its head and neck, two black-fringed oval green patches.
In the female, the face and neck are dingy white, sometimes spotted with black. The forehead, headcap and nape are dark brownish-black. There is a dark line around the dark eye, and a blackish post-ocular band. The ear is adorned with a dark spot. The bill is less vivid orange than that of the male and has a dulled keel. The green of its back is usually more dull, less shiny, than that of the male.
When visible, the belly is white in both sexes. In flight, wings and tail are black. The wing shows a diagonal white bar which starts in the wrist area, passes through the coverts and broadens as it crosses the secondary remiges. The tertiaries and scapulars are shining dark green.
The young resemble the female, but are generally more beige-coloured. Young males acquire the orange bill and the green patch at the back of the head by the age of 6 months.