- Cereopsis novaehollandiae
Identification
75-90cm
- Grey plumage
- Rounded black spots
- Black tail and flight feathers
- Pink legs
- Black feet
- Short, decurved black bill
- Green cere
Distribution
Australasia: breeds on islands off the southern coast and Tasmania. Range is limited to the extreme southern edges of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, where it can be locally common.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Subspecies grisea is not recognised by most authorities[2].
Habitat
Offshore islands, usually granite, in areas of pasture, tussock grass or low heathy scrub.
Behaviour
Typically in small to large flocks.
Difficult to approach, except where well protected from the activities of man, e.g. Mariah Island on Tasmania, a preserve, where they are very tame.
Diet
The diet includes tussock grass, spear grass, herbs, succulents, barley grass and clover.
Breeding
They nest in the grassy tussocks. The 5 eggs are incubated for about a month.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Avibase
- Parks and Wildlife, Tasmania
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Cape Barren Goose. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 18 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Cape_Barren_Goose
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
