Small goose of seasonally flooded prairies and rainforest rivers. Bicolored, with a brown body and cream-colored head, neck, and chest. The wings are iridescent dark green, with a small white patch visible in flight. It is found along rivers and flooded prairies, where it swims and walks along beaches, often in pairs. Due to hunting, it is rare or absent in some areas where it was previously found.
Order: Anseriformes | Family: Anatidas
Scientific name: Oressochen jubatus
Common names: Ganso del orinoco, pato carretero, orinoco goose
Conservation status: Preocupación menor (LC)
Best season for orinoco goose: All year round
Description
The Orinoco Goose stands upright and is identified by its whitish neck, chest, and belly, black wings with a white speculum, orange and brown on the flanks, and salmon-colored legs. It vocalizes frequently during territorial displays and as contact calls between adults and juveniles, with a variety of calls ranging from high-pitched whistles to cackles and guttural honks. Males are notably larger than females and perform territorial displays to defend nesting sites and protect their mates from other males.
Distribution
Widely distributed in South America, from Venezuela to northern Argentina, primarily east of the Andes. Its main habitat is found in the wetlands and savannas of the plains in Colombia, Venezuela, and northern Bolivia. It is also found in seasonally flooded forest river systems. Its population is declining throughout its range due to hunting and the loss of large trees for cavity nesting.
Hábitat
Orinoco Geese are found at low elevations, predominantly in seasonally wet savannas. They are also found on beaches and in lagoons of meandering Amazon river systems during the dry season.
Source: Orinoco Goose (Oressochen jubatus).
