Editing Cotton pygmy goose (section)

== Taxonomy==
The cotton pygmy goose was [[Species description|formally described]] in 1789 by the German naturalist [[Johann Friedrich Gmelin]] in his revised and expanded edition of [[Carl Linnaeus]]'s ''[[Systema Naturae]]''. He placed it with the ducks, swans and geese in the [[genus]] ''[[Anas]]'' and coined the [[binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] ''Anas coromandeliana''.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Gmelin | first=Johann Friedrich | author-link=Johann Friedrich Gmelin| year=1788 | title=Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | edition=13th | volume=1, Part 1 | language=Latin | location=Lipsiae [Leipzig] | publisher=Georg. Emanuel. Beer | page= | url=http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25751671 }}</ref> Gmelin based his description on "La Sarcelle de Coromandel" that had been described in 1783 by the French polymath [[Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon]] in his ''Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux''.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Buffon | first=Georges-Louis Leclerc de | author-link=Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon | year=1783 | title=Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux | volume=9 | location=Paris | publisher=De l'Imprimerie Royale | pages=274–275 | chapter=La Sarcelle de Coromandel | language=French | chapter-url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1069724f/f324.item }}</ref> Hand-coloured plates had been published separately.<ref>{{ cite book | last1=Buffon | first1=Georges-Louis Leclerc de | author1-link=Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon | last2=Martinet | first2=François-Nicolas | author2-link=François-Nicolas Martinet | last3=Daubenton | first3=Edme-Louis  | author3-link=Edme-Louis Daubenton | last4=Daubenton | first4=Louis-Jean-Marie | author4-link=Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton | year=1765–1783 | title=Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle | volume=10 | location=Paris | publisher=De L'Imprimerie Royale | at=Plates 949, 950 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35223691  }}</ref> The cotton pygmy goose is now one of three species placed in the genus ''[[Nettapus]]'' that was introduced in 1836 by the German naturalist [[Johann Friedrich von Brandt]].<ref>{{ cite book | last=Brandt | first=Johann Friedrich von | author-link=Johann Friedrich von Brandt | year=1836 | title=Descriptiones et icones animalium rossicorum novorum vel minus rite cognitorum | volume=Fasciculus 1: Aves | language=la | publisher=Jussu et sumptibus Academiae Scientiarum | page=5 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53584280 }}</ref><ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=January 2022 | title=Screamers, ducks, geese & swans | work=IOC World Bird List Version 12.1 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/waterfowl/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=3 July 2022 }}</ref> The genus name is from [[Ancient Greek]] ''nētta'' meaning "duck" and ''pous'' meaning "foot".<ref>{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url=https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn= 978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=[https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n269 269] }}</ref> Members of the genus are [[sexual dimorphism|sexually dimorphic]], with the cotton pygmy goose the only species in which there is a marked difference in the non-breeding plumage of the males.

Two [[subspecies]] are recognized.<ref name=ioc/> The [[nominate subspecies|nominate form]] is found in India, Asia extending east to New Guinea. The population in eastern Australia is placed in the subspecies ''albipennis'' (first described by [[John Gould]] in 1842). It is marginally larger in dimensions.<ref name=":0" />