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Magellan Goose or Upland Goose Chloephaga Picta

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Magellan Goose

Appearance:
Male - The male Magellan Goose has a white head, neck, and breast with black barred underparts, the eyes are dark brown and the short beak is black, the flanks and shoulders are also barred, the rear upperparts are grey, and the tail is black, the wings are dark grey and white with an iridescent green speculum, and the legs and feet are black.
Female - The female is chestnut coloured with black barring on the breast, underparts, and flanks. The female has yellow legs and feet.

Male
Female

Size: - Typical Adult is 60-73cm (24-29in).

Food: - Aquatic plants, leaves, stems, seeds, sedges, berries and likes to graze on grasses.

Habitat/Range: - Pastures, grassy plains, rivers, and streams in southern South America, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia. The continental geese fly further north during the austral Winter while the Falklands geese are resident, and the Magellan Goose has been introduced to South Georgia.

Magellan Goose Map
Breeding Habitat/Resident,    Migration or Winter Area.



Breeding Season: - October - November in South America, and September - October in Falkland Islands.

Eggs: - 5 to 8 (creamy buff colour).

Notes: - There are two sub-species of Magellan Goose or Upland Goose which have a slightly different plumage:- The Falklands population of Greater Magellan Geese (Chloephaga Picta Leucoptera) and the Lesser Magellan geese found in Chile and Argentina (Chloephaga Picta Picta). This Goose is part of the Sheldgoose or Shelduck subfamily Tadorninae.

Conservation status (IUCN 3.1):
  Least Concern.  

Classification: - Family: Anatidae,
Subfamily: Tadorninae, Genus: Chloephaga.

Magellan Goose video:


Wildfowl (Alphabetical order):
A-B    C-F    G-L    M-R    S-Z   





Photographs

Magellan Goose
Magellan Goose (Chloephaga Picta)





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