Cape Barren Goose
Place to admire: Australia
Scientific name: Cereopsis novaehollandiae
IUCN-status: Least concern
General Information
The Cape Barren Goose faced significant population declines in the past, due to hunting and habitat loss. Thanks to many conservation efforts, this has led to a tremendous recovery in many areas. Today, the Cape Barren Goose is listed as Least concern, but this is partly due to the protection of various state and federal laws in Australia.
Habitat
The Cape Barren Goose is a native species in Australia. This bird species is endemic to South Australia. This means that this bird species lives naturally only in South Australia. Its range consists of coastal areas and offshore islands in Western and Southern Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
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Appearance
The Cape Barren Goose is a significant large Anatidae. In fact, this bird species has a size of 75 to 100 centimeters.
The plumage of the upper and lower body colors gray, with a light brown haze. The breast and back feathers appear scaly due to the lighter edges. The tail and tail coverts are black in color. The upper wing feathers contain a dark gray spot near the tips. The shoulder feathers contain larger and browner spots. The flight feathers color gray with black tips.
Despite being a substantial bird, the Cape Barren Goose has a relatively small head and short, black bill. The beak is also partially hidden by the lemon-yellow nostrils. The forehead and crown are whiter in color. The iris has a honey-like color. The legs contain a pink color and the feet are black. This makes it look as if the Cape Barren Goose is always walking through mud.
Diet
The Cape Barren Goose is a herbivore. This means that this species of bird eats only plant material. The Cape Barren Goose grazes on land for leaves, stems, grass seeds, grasses and other plant species with a high water content. The Cape Barren Goose can even drink salt water or brackish water.
Sociaal gedrag
The Cape Barren Goose is a social bird species. In the non-breeding season, this bird species lives in pairs or in groups of up to 300 individuals. Before the breeding season starts, the monogamous pairs leave the group to leave for the breeding grounds.
Natural behavior
Despite its burly appearance, the Cape Barren Goose can fly. This species of bird does not fly as productively as many other species of Anserinae. This is because the Cape Barren Goose lives mainly on land, and thus spends a lot of time grazing on vegetation on the ground.
Surely, the Cape Barren Goose is a strong flyer. This bird species travels great distances between islands or coastal areas. Its flight consists of shallow and rapid wingbeats. This species often flies in V-formation when traveling in groups.
The ability to fly also plays an important role in breeding behavior. The pair often nests on the small islands off the coast of Australia. They have to fly to the larger islands or the mainland to forage, sometimes traveling long distances.