Upland Goose
Chloephaga picta
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Rare
- Observations
- 3,686
- Most observed in
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The upland goose or Magellan goose (Chloephaga picta) is a sheldgoose of the shelduck-sheldgoose subfamily of the Anatidae, the biological family that includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as the geese and swans. Sheldgeese resemble true geese and display similar habits, yet they are more closely related to shelducks and ducks. This species nests and breeds close to water (rivers, ponds, oceans) either on the ground or near it among vegetation, usually in grasslands or coastal meadows in the Falkland Islands or in southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego at the beginning of the austral summer. Population estimates suggest the insular subpopulations are stable, but continental populations show a recent decline in abundance. Upland geese are herbivorous, specializing in plant leaves, stems and seeds.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Upland goose”.