Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae Scientific name definitions

75–100 cm; male 3170–5100 g, female 3180 g (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Unmistakable . Juvenile averages slightly lighter with heavier spotting on wings and scapulars; cere and legs also paler (the latter greenish or blackish), and iris dull brown (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); cere becomes lime-green at day 70 and moult body feathers to adult plumage  at c. 6 months (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Natal down.

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Introduced to several localities of S Australia, and to South I (New Zealand).

Islands off S Australia including Recherche Archipelago, islands W of Red I and mainland near Esperance (Western Australia), Furneaux Achipelago in Bass Strait, islands off Wilson’s  Promontory (Victoria), in Spencer Gulf (Investigator Is, Joseph Banks Is and Nuyts Is) and on adjacent Eyre Peninsula, and has been introduced to Tidbinbilla (New South Wales), Warrnambool (Victoria), Maria I (Tasmania), Kangaroo I (South Australia) and South I, New Zealand (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Breeds in scrub and grassy areas on offshore islands of limestone and granite, with vegetation < 1 m tall (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); also frequents beaches, coastal pasture and edges of brackish and freshwater lakes and lagoons ; also uses mudflats and saltmarshes (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Does not enter water except when moulting or rearing young.

Partially dispersive after breeding season, with some remaining on nesting islands but others flying to other, larger islands (up to 40 km distant) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) or to adjacent mainland, where species has occurred quite far inland. Birds from Recherche Archipelago recorded sporadically at mainland: Mammoth Cave (1921), L Grace (c. 1930), Busselton (1942), Narrikup (1952), Cape Naturaliste (1969), L Cobham (1986) and Warriup Hill (occasionally until late 1980s) (2 Halse, S.A., Burbridge, A.A., Lane, J.A.K., Haberley, B., Pearson, G.B. and Clarke, A. (1995). Size of the Cape Barren Goose population in Western Australia. Emu. 95(2): 77–83. Close ). Elsewhere, geese observed comparatively frequently on S coast between Bremer Bay and Cape Arid, e.g. at Hopetoun (1945, 1969), Duke of Orleans Bay (1968), Cape Arid (1968), Munglinup (1979), Bremer Bay (1983, 1985), Cape Le Grand (1985) and the species occurs regularly around Esperance, where up to 40 birds seen in austral summer (2 Halse, S.A., Burbridge, A.A., Lane, J.A.K., Haberley, B., Pearson, G.B. and Clarke, A. (1995). Size of the Cape Barren Goose population in Western Australia. Emu. 95(2): 77–83. Close ). Vagrants have occurred as follows: Nullarbor Plain (e.g. Jan–Feb 1984, also from Recherche Is) (2 Halse, S.A., Burbridge, A.A., Lane, J.A.K., Haberley, B., Pearson, G.B. and Clarke, A. (1995). Size of the Cape Barren Goose population in Western Australia. Emu. 95(2): 77–83. Close ), SE Australia and perhaps even New Zealand (see also Status and Conservation) (3 Gill, B.J., Bell, B.D., Chambers, G.K., Medway, D.G., Palma, R.L., Scofield, R.P., Tennyson, A.J.D. and Worthy, T.H. (2010). Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Te Papa Press & Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand. Close ). Unconfirmed sighting from Tierra del Fuego (South America) mentioned in some literature (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) surely erroneous. Introduced to New Zealand, unsuccessfully, at least three times in 1869–1874; six birds released in 1914/15 at L Hawea and Wanaka resulted in small breeding population that persisted until 1946, but birds recorded elsewhere during or soon afterwards, namely L Thompson (1934), Loch Maree (Mar 1947) and L Hankinson (Jun 1947), may have come from this population, but have also been postulated to be vagrants from Australia, while the same is true of records from L Waitaki and Benmore (May 1966), Sutherland Sound (early 1967) and South Auckland (Dec 1985) (3 Gill, B.J., Bell, B.D., Chambers, G.K., Medway, D.G., Palma, R.L., Scofield, R.P., Tennyson, A.J.D. and Worthy, T.H. (2010). Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Te Papa Press & Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand. Close ).

Essentially vegetarian ; leaves, stems and seeds of grasses (tussock), sedges, cereal crops (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) and other plants with high water and nitrogen content, but low fibre (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); these include clover (Trifolium), Disophyma australe, Juncus  , Myoporum insulare, Nitraria schoberi and alga (Homosira banksii) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). In breeding season, on Furneaux Archipelago, diet largely (70%) grass, but also takes species of Geraniaceae, Plantaginaceae and Asteraceae (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). A specialist grazer , feeds almost exclusively on land and during day (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Forms small flocks, rarely > 300 birds, in non-breeding season (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Low, pig-like grunts and hisses are produced by both sexes, but only male gives loud, higher-pitched, harsher and usually disyllabic trumpeting (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); most calls are given in flight , in display or when alarmed (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Goslings give whistling contact and distress calls, the latter higher-pitched and uttered with head held up; also long trilling vocalizations (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

In winter, starts May/Jun (perhaps slightly later on Recherche Is), although territories are occupied from Feb and season continues until Oct (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); captive birds in N Hemisphere nest Nov–Mar (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Monogamous and forms lifelong pair-bonds (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). In single pairs or loose, well-spaced colonies, where nests are typically sited at least 20 m apart (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); builds shallow nest  of vegetation in hollow on ground, lined with down, amongst tussock grass, rocks or bushes, often on slopes on windward sides of islands, occasionally in bushes (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); nest constructed mainly by male, lined by female (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Average c. 4–5 creamy-white eggs  (3–6), laid at 1–3-day intervals, size 80·9–82·9 mm × 54·6–55·6 mm (78·3 mm × 53·7 mm, in captivity), mass 124·5–127 g (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); incubation c. 34–37 days by female alone (39 days in captivity) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); chicks have black or dark brown down above, light grey below , with dark brown stripe  through eye and two broad parallel pale grey stripes on back  , grey-black bill, grey-green legs  and feet, and black iris (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); hatch synchronously, weighing 70–95 g, and capable of self-feeding within 24 hours (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); fledging 70–76 days and form crèches, but remain with adults until c. 16 weeks (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). In one study, 89% of eggs hatched and 54% fledged. May form pairs when 12 months old, but rarely breeds before three years old (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Total population reckoned to be c. 15,000–17,000 birds in 1980s, more recently (late 1990s) c. 20,000 individuals (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); apparently stable or increasing, after major declines earlier in 20th century, during which period the species was lost from some islands, e.g. Bald I, off Western Australia (2 Halse, S.A., Burbridge, A.A., Lane, J.A.K., Haberley, B., Pearson, G.B. and Clarke, A. (1995). Size of the Cape Barren Goose population in Western Australia. Emu. 95(2): 77–83. Close ); numbered just 5300 birds in 1960s (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Population estimates include: 3500–10,000 birds on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia; c. 650 on Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia in 1993 (2 Halse, S.A., Burbridge, A.A., Lane, J.A.K., Haberley, B., Pearson, G.B. and Clarke, A. (1995). Size of the Cape Barren Goose population in Western Australia. Emu. 95(2): 77–83. Close ) (where recorded on 79 of the archipelago’s 232 islands (2 Halse, S.A., Burbridge, A.A., Lane, J.A.K., Haberley, B., Pearson, G.B. and Clarke, A. (1995). Size of the Cape Barren Goose population in Western Australia. Emu. 95(2): 77–83. Close ) and this population, which is sometimes afforded separate subspecific status, has been regarded as globally threatened, being ranked as Vulnerable) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); and 500 on Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria. Furneaux Is, Tasmania, hold large population with 9000 individuals counted in 1988, and numbers increasing; annual production of 4000 goslings from over 3000 breeding geese. Had been considered finally extinct in New Zealand , where survived for decades after being introduced: however, since 1988, a small population of liberated birds has become established in North Canterbury, where up to 18 birds recorded together, while very small numbers recorded (sometimes breeding) around Christchurch and S to Timaru are probably escapees, and a small population N of Helensville probably also originates from liberated birds, with other incidental records are also most likely to be escapees from private collections. Droughts and otherwise high temperatures may lead to many birds starving or dying of heat stress (2 Halse, S.A., Burbridge, A.A., Lane, J.A.K., Haberley, B., Pearson, G.B. and Clarke, A. (1995). Size of the Cape Barren Goose population in Western Australia. Emu. 95(2): 77–83. Close ), which factors could be exacerbated by ongoing climate change (4 Chambers, L., Hughes, L. and Weston, M.A. (2005). Climate change and its impact on Australia’s avifauna. Emu 1985(1): 1–298. Close ). Favourable habitats created for agriculture have assured population recovery after halting of uncontrolled persecution; extensive modifications for agriculture may have negative effects on breeding grounds. Management, perhaps including limited grazing, may be necessary on breeding islands designated as nature reserves, to avoid them reverting to dense scrubland. Extent of damage to pastures is still matter for debate; farmers have been permitted limited amount of shooting in Tasmania.