The Andean goose (''Chloephaga melanoptera'') is a species of

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...

in tribe Tadornini of subfamily

Anserinae The Anserinae are a subfamily in the waterfowl family Anatidae. It includes the swans and true geese. Under alternative systematical concepts (see e.g., Terres & NAS, 1991), it is split into two subfamilies, the Anserinae contain the geese a ...

.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 Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, Bolivia,

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

.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 The International Ornithologists' Union, formerly known as the International Ornithological Committee, is a group of about 200 international ornithologists, and is responsible for the International Ornithological Congress and other international ...

(IOC) and BirdLife International's '' Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) place it in genus ''Chloephaga'' with several other geese. However, based on a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014, the South American Classification Committee of the

American Ornithological Society The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is an ornithological organization based in the United States. The society was formed in October 2016 by the merger of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Its m ...

and the

Clements taxonomy ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World'' is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world. The most recent printed version is the sixth edition (2007), but has been updated yearly, the last version in 202 ...

place it and the

Orinoco goose The Orinoco goose (''Neochen jubata'') is a Near Threatened 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 ...

in the resurrected genus ''Oressochen''. The IOC and HBW place the Orinoco goose in genus ''Neochen''. The Andean goose is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

Description

The Andean goose is long and weighs . Both sexes have the same plumage. Adults' heads and bodies are white. Some

scapulars The scapula (plural scapulae or scapulas), also known as the shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). Like their connected bones, the scapulae are paired, with each scapula on either ...

have sooty centers and others are dark brown, giving a striped appearance to the shoulders. The wing's

primaries Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the c ...

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 Ancash ( qu, Anqash; es, Áncash ) is a department and region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the departments of La Libertad on the north, Huánuco and Pasco on the east, Lima on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital i ...

and Junín south through western Bolivia to the

Ñuble Region The Ñuble Region ( es, Región de Ñuble), officially the Region of Ñuble ( es, Región de Ñuble), is — since 5 September 2018 – one of Chile's sixteen regions. It spans an area of , making it the smallest region in Chile in terms of area ...

of Chile and in Argentina into Catamarca Province. 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 Hemoglobin (haemoglobin BrE) (from the Greek word αἷμα, ''haîma'' 'blood' + Latin ''globus'' 'ball, sphere' + ''-in'') (), abbreviated Hb or Hgb, is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein present in red blood cells (erythrocyt ...

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 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 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 bird ...

Birds of the Andes