Stats

Lifespan: 15-20 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Flock
Biome: Temperate grassland
Range: South America
Movement: Walking
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Herd Safety
Status: Uncommon

About

A large sheldgoose of Patagonia and the Falkland Islands, the Upland Goose unusually forages almost entirely on land — often far from any water — grazing on grasses much like a sheep. Males are strikingly white with finely barred black-and-white wings, while females are rich rufous-brown.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A clutch of eggs rests in a down-lined nest near water, covered and warmed by the brooding female.
2.
hatchling
A downy hatchling follows its mother to the water within hours and feeds itself almost immediately.
3.
juvenile
A juvenile grows its first true feathers, swimming in the family group and learning to dabble or dive.
4.
adult
Fully grown with adult plumage.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Chloephaga
Species: Chloephaga picta