Birds
Andean Goose
Chloephaga melanoptera · also called Andean geese
Grazing the marshy edges of a high-Andean lake thousands of metres above sea level, an Andean goose lives higher than any of its lowland Patagonian relatives, its white plumage and black wingtips a familiar sight across the thin mountain air it calls home.
Overview
The Andean goose, Chloephaga melanoptera, is a Least Concern waterfowl species native to mountain and wetland habitat across the high Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Its status as the highest-living member of its genus, its distinctive white-and-black plumage, and its physiological adaptation to thin mountain air make it one of the more altitude-specialised geese found anywhere in South America.
A goose that left the lowlands behind entirely
While its Patagonian relatives graze grassland at or near sea level, the Andean goose has instead settled permanently onto the high Andean plateau, trading a milder climate for wetland habitat that few other geese anywhere are equipped to use.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and generally stable across suitable high-altitude wetland habitat throughout the Andes.
Andean Goose: common questions
How does the Andean goose differ from Patagonian geese?
This species lives at higher altitude than any of the lowland Patagonian geese, found almost exclusively across the high Andean plateau rather than lowland grassland or coastline.
What does the Andean goose look like?
This species has mostly white plumage contrasting with black wingtips, a pattern that gives the species its scientific name and separates it from its darker-headed relatives.
Where does the Andean goose live?
This species is rarely found far from high-altitude lakes, bogs, and marshy grassland, remaining closely tied to wetland habitat throughout its high-Andean range.
How does the Andean goose cope with such thin air?
This species is physiologically adapted to the thin air and intense ultraviolet exposure typical of extreme high-altitude Andean habitat, conditions that would challenge many lowland waterfowl.