The
Cape Barren goose (
Cereopsis novaehollandiae) is a species of
goose endemic to
southern Australia. It was first formally described by the English ornithologist
John Latham in 1801. Adult Cape Barren geese are large birds, typically measuring 75 to 100 centimetres (30 to 39 inches) long and weighing between 3.7 to 5.2 kilograms (8.2 to 11.5 pounds), with males generally being larger than females. The plumage is mostly pale grey with a slight brown tint. The head is somewhat small in proportion to the body and mostly grey in colour, save for a pale whitish patch on the forehead and crown. Cape Barren geese are largely
terrestrial, only occasionally swimming. They predominantly graze on grasses,
sedges,
legumes,
herbs, and
succulents. This group of Cape Barren geese in flight was photographed near Hanson Bay, on
Kangaroo Island in
South Australia.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
_in_flight_Kangaroo_Island_2.jpg)
