The Andean goose (''Chloephaga melanoptera'') is a species of
waterfowl in tribe Tadornini of subfamily
Anserinae.
[HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 6. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v6_Dec21.zip retrieved August 7, 2022] It is found in
Argentina,
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
,
Chile, and
Peru.
[Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved July 24, 2022]
Taxonomy and systematics
The Andean goose's taxonomy is unsettled. The
International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
's ''
Handbook of the Birds of the World
The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. T ...
'' (HBW) place it in genus ''Chloephaga'' with several other geese. However, based on a
molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
study published in 2014, the South American Classification Committee of the
American Ornithological Society and the
Clements taxonomy place it and the
Orinoco goose in the resurrected genus ''Oressochen''. The IOC and HBW place the Orinoco goose in genus ''Neochen''.
[
The Andean goose is monotypic.][
]
Description
The Andean goose is long and weighs . Both sexes have the same plumage. Adults' heads and bodies are white. Some scapulars have sooty centers and others are dark brown, giving a striped appearance to the shoulders. The wing's primaries and the tail are black with a greenish gloss. Their bill is coral red with a black nail and the legs and feet are light red. Downy young are mostly white with some blackish spots and streaks. Older immatures are similar to adults but duller. Their bodies are somewhat off-white, the sides of the head often partly gray, and the scapulars brownish gray.[Duvall, A. (2020). Andean Goose (''Oressochen melanopterus''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.andgoo1.01 retrieved September 28, 2022]
Distribution and habitat
The Andean goose is found from Peru's departments of Ancash and JunÃn south through western Bolivia to the Ñuble Region of Chile and in Argentina into Catamarca Province
Catamarca () is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. The province had a population of 334,568 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km2. Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring provinces are (clockwise, fr ...
. It inhabits open grasslands, bogs, and the shores of lakes and lagoons. In elevation it is found almost entirely above but in Chile moves lower temporarily in times of heavy winter snow.[
]
Physiological adaptation
Andean geese have developed a mutation in their hemoglobin that has led to a vast increase in hemoglobin-oxygen affinity over that of lower-elevation species.
Behavior
Movement
Except for temporary elevational changes, the Andean goose is a year-round resident throughout its range. They are almost entirely terrestrial but will fly to escape danger and will lead chicks into water to avoid predators.[
]
Feeding
Almost nothing is known about the Andean goose's diet but it appears to be almost entirely grasses. They often form loose flocks except in the breeding season.[
]
Breeding
Andean geese are territorial only in the breeding season, which begins in November, the austral spring. They are believed to form strong year-round pair bonds. They do not make a conventional nest but lay eggs in a scrape among sparse vegetation and sometimes on bare ground. The clutch size is five to ten eggs. Males guard females during the incubation period of about 30 days.[
]
Vocalization
The Andean goose is very vocal, and males and females have very different voices. Males make "a "soft ''huit-wit-wit..., crip, quiop'', low, grunting ''kwwwwwu...'', single-syllable threat whistle, and double-syllable sexual calls." Females make a louder "somewhat grating ''kwa-kwak'' and "a hoarse ''gack-gack''".[
]
Status
The IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
has assessed the Andean goose as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range, and though its population size is unknown it is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified.[ "The remote habitat of this species has protected it from human persecution nd itis unlikely that the areas this goose uses will be modified by man in the near future." It is persecuted by sheep farmers who view it as a competitor to their flocks.][
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q490327
Andean goose
Andean goose
Birds of the Andes
Andean goose
Andean goose