The magpie goose is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This common waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. As the species is prone to wandering, especially when not breeding, it is sometimes recorded outside its core range. The species was once also widespread in southern Australia but disappeared from there largely due to the drainage of the wetlands where the birds once bred. Due to their importance to Aboriginal people as a seasonal food source, as subjects of recreational hunting, and as a tourist attraction, their expansive and stable presence in northern Australia has been "ensured [by] protective management".
Region
Australasia (Northern Australia and Southern New Guinea)
Typical Environment
Magpie geese occupy tropical floodplains, freshwater marshes, billabongs, and grass–sedge swamps. They concentrate in expansive seasonal wetlands during the wet season for breeding and disperse widely as waters recede. They readily use man-made habitats such as rice fields and dams when natural wetlands are scarce. Historically present in southern Australia, they are now largely restricted to the north and southern New Guinea, with occasional wanderers outside the core range.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 3/5
The magpie goose is the sole living member of the family Anseranatidae, representing an ancient lineage of waterfowl. Its toes are only partially webbed, allowing it to perch in trees—unusual for a large waterbird. It breeds colonially on floating or reed-bed nests and often forms long-term social groups that can include one male and two females, which all care for the young. Once widespread in southern Australia, it declined there after wetland drainage but remains abundant in the tropical north.
Temperament
social and gregarious
Flight Pattern
strong flier with steady wingbeats; flocks commute between feeding and roosting sites
Social Behavior
Breeds colonially, building large platform nests in dense wetland vegetation or on floating mats. Unusually for waterfowl, groups often consist of one male and two females forming stable trios that jointly rear goslings. Outside breeding, they gather in large flocks to feed and roost, especially on extensive floodplains.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are loud, honking and cackling calls that carry over wetlands. During flock flights and at colonies they produce chorus-like, bugling notes with harsh chatters. Alarm calls are sharp and repeated.
