Cape Barren goose

Cape Barren goose

Description

The Cape Barren goose is a bulky, thickset goose with ash-grey plumage flecked with small dark spots across the wings, and a short black bill almost entirely hidden beneath a striking greenish-yellow cere. Its legs are pink with black webbed feet. It stands about 75–100 cm long and weighs 3 to 6 kg, with the gander a little larger than the goose. It is one of the most terrestrial of all geese and rarely takes to the water.

Habitat

It inhabits grassy coastal islands, dunes and pastures across southern Australia, especially the islands of the Bass Strait and off South and Western Australia. It spends most of its time on land grazing and seeks out quiet, predator-free islands on which to nest.

Diet

It is almost entirely herbivorous, grazing on grasses, herbs, sedges and young shoots and favouring legumes and green winter forage; on pasture it grazes for much of the day. It needs almost no fresh water, as salt glands in its head let it drink brackish and even salt water.

Reproduction

It breeds unusually in autumn and winter. The goose lays 4 to 6 creamy-white eggs in a grass-and-plant nest lined with down and incubates them for about 34 to 37 days while the gander fiercely guards the site. Both parents then lead the striped goslings.

Lifespan

In the wild it lives around ten years, while under good care in human hands it commonly reaches 20 years or more.

Did you know?

One of the rarest geese in the world, the Cape Barren goose can live on islands with no fresh water at all: special salt glands near the base of its bill excrete excess salt, so it can drink brackish or even sea water.