- Anseranas semipalmata
Identification
Location: Nhulunbuy NT Australia The Magpie-goose, Anseranas semipalmata is an unusual member of the bird order Anseriformes, the latter containing about living 150 species in three families.
This species is distinctive enough to be the sole member of the Anseranatidae; the other two living families are the Anhimidae, the screamers, and the Anatidae, the ducks, geese, and swans. The Magpie-goose is the only member of its genus Anseranas
This family is quite old, having apparently diverged before the extinction of the dinosaurs. The fossil record is limited, nonetheless, with an undescribed species from the Late Oligocene of Billy-Créchy (France) being known (Hugueney et al, 2003). The enigmatic genus Anatalavis (Hornerstown Late Cretaceous/Early Paleocene of New Jersey, USA - London Clay Early Eocene of Walton-on-the-Naze, England) is sometimes considered to be the earliest known anseranatid.
The Magpie-goose is a resident breeder in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is found in a variety of open wet areas such as floodplains and swamps. It is fairly sedentary apart from some movement during the dry season.
Its nest is on the ground, and a typical clutch is 5-14 eggs. Some males mate with two females.
Magpie-geese are unmistakable birds with their black and white plumage and yellowish legs. The feet are only partially webbed, although the Magpie-goose will feed on vegetable matter in the water as well as on land. Males are larger than females. Unlike true geese, the moult is gradual, and there is no flightless period.
They are colonial breeders and are gregarious outside of the breeding season when they can form large and noisy flocks of up to a few thousand individuals. The voice is a loud honking.
