Range

Australia is the native home of the cape barren goose. Here they can be found throughout Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. They can also be found on a number of offshore islands.

An introduced population of the cape barren goose has been established in New Zealand. In Australia they have been introduced to Kangaroo Island where they did not naturally occur.

Habitat

They make their home in coastal areas of Australia. These habitats may include shrubland, grassland and wetlands.

Cape barren goose are almost always found near water such as the sea, dams, swamps, lakes and lagoons.

Reproduction

Cape barren geese breed from May to September. Pairs remain together for life. Throughout breeding season they are highly aggressive and will chase off anything which threatens them.

The male will form a nest out of grasses and plant matter which is then lined with soft feathers.

In to this nest the female will deposit between four and seven creamy white eggs.

These eggs are incubated for six weeks after which they hatch. They are incubated by the female while both parents help brood the eggs. At hatching the chicks are covered by downy feathers which are striped with white and brown.

The chicks will follow their parents and feed on grasses.

Behavior

During summer many of these birds move from islands to the mainland.

In flight a cape barren goose will make a loud ‘ark-ark-ark’ call.

Pairs remain together year round. In parts of their range these pairs will form large flocks during summer. These flocks may number up to 300 members.

Predators and Threats

If threatened they make take to the water and swim which affords them some protection.

They will attempt to scare predators away by running towards them with their wings outstretched. These birds will also strike with their wings or bite.

By the 1950s humans had almost hunted the cape barren goose to extinction. Protection measures were put in place and their feeding areas were restored to help increase their population. Despite this rebound in their population they remain one of the world’s rarest geese.

Humans continue to affect their population through vehicle strikes.

Quick facts

Cape barren geese were originally believed to be the immature form of the black swan.

They are also known as the pig goose.