The Recherche Cape Barren goose (''Cereopsis novaehollandiae grisea''), also known as the Cape Barren goose (southwestern), is large grazing bird found along the southern coast of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
. It is a
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of the
Cape Barren goose
The Cape Barren goose (''Cereopsis novaehollandiae'') is a large goose resident in southern Australia.
Etymology
The species' common name is derived from Cape Barren Island, where specimens were first sighted by European explorers. It is known ...
, the other subspecies of which inhabits islands and coastal regions of
Bass Strait
Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct waterwa ...
in south-eastern Australia. It is distinguished by its larger size and variant colouring.
Distribution and habitat
The subspecies is found on the beaches, pasture, rocky areas, and islands of the
Recherche Archipelago
The Archipelago of the Recherche, known locally as the Bay of Isles, is a group of 105 islands, and over 1200 "obstacles to shipping", off the south coast of Western Australia. The islands stretch from east to west and to off-shore encomp ...
, which is its only breeding site. It also visits
Pink Lake
A pink lake is a lake that has a red or pink colour. This is often caused by the presence of salt-tolerant algae that produces carotenoids, such as ''Dunaliella salina'', usually in conjunction with specific bacteria, which may vary from lake ...
and Red islet. The
Cape Arid
Cape Arid National Park is a national park located in Western Australia, southeast of Perth. The park is situated east of Esperance and lies on the shore of the south coast from the eastern end of the Recherche Archipelago. The bay at its east ...
,
Stokes, and
Cape Le Grand
Cape Le Grand National Park is a national park in Western Australia, south-east of Perth and east of Esperance. The park covers an area of
The area is an ancient landscape which has been above sea level for well over 200 million years and ...
National Parks are also occupied in summer months.
Behaviour
The geese feed by grazing and rarely swim. Nesting takes place mainly on the larger scrub-covered islands of the Archipelago, notably
Cull Island
Cull Island, also known as Culls Island and Gull Island, is an island off the south coast of Western Australia in the Recherche Archipelago. It is located about southeast of Esperance and occupies an area of .
Cull Island is uninhabited but ...
.
Status and conservation
Historically the population of the western subspecies was about 1000 individuals, declining in the early 1990s, with the current population considered stable. Its relative rarity of the subspecies makes it vulnerable to extinction.
References
Endemic birds of Western Australia
Birds described in 1818
Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot
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