Upland Goose
Chloephaga picta
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
- FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
- GenusChloephaga (Austral Sheldgeese)
- SpeciesChloephaga picta (Upland Goose)
About the Upland Goose
The upland goose or Magellan goose (Chloephaga picta) is a sheldgoose of the shelduck-sheldgoose subfamily of the Anatidae, the biological family that includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as the geese and swans. Sheldgeese resemble true geese and display similar habits, yet they are more closely related to shelducks and ducks.
This species nests and breeds close to water (rivers, ponds, oceans) either on the ground or near it among vegetation, usually in grasslands or coastal meadows in the Falkland Islands or in southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego at the beginning of the austral summer. Population estimates suggest the insular subpopulations are stable, but continental populations show a recent decline in abundance. Upland geese are herbivorous, specializing in plant leaves, stems and seeds.
The upland goose was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the other ducks, geese and swans in the genus Anas and coined the binomial name Anas picta. Gmelin based his description on the "painted goose" that had been included by the... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Upland Goose in Península Valdés
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Península Valdés
Ashy-headed Goose
Chloephaga poliocephala
Crested Duck
Lophonetta specularioides
Flying Steamer-Duck
Tachyeres patachonicus
Coscoroba Swan
Coscoroba coscoroba
Black-necked Swan
Cygnus melancoryphus
Chiloé Wigeon
Mareca sibilatrix
Yellow-billed Pintail
Anas georgica
Red Shoveler
Spatula platalea
White-headed Steamer-Duck
Tachyeres leucocephalus
Speckled Teal
Anas flavirostris
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Nahuel Huapi National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Upland Goose in Península Valdés?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Upland Goose sighting in Península Valdés, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Upland Goose in Península Valdés?
July has the highest sighting rate for Upland Goose in Península Valdés in our monthly data.