Birds
Kelp Goose
Chloephaga hybrida · also called kelp geese
Grazing directly on kelp exposed by the falling tide, a male kelp goose gleams almost entirely white against the dark rocks of its shoreline territory, a striking contrast to the mottled grey-and-black females it shares the coast with.
Overview
The kelp goose, Chloephaga hybrida, is a Least Concern waterfowl species native to coastal habitat across southern South America and the Falkland Islands. Its extreme colour difference between the sexes, its unusually specialised seaweed diet, and its close ties to rocky shorelines make it one of the more visually striking and ecologically specialised geese found anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
A goose that grazes on the tideline
Rather than grazing grasslands like most geese, the kelp goose has built its entire way of life around the rocky, tide-exposed shoreline, feeding directly on seaweed in a niche few other waterfowl species have claimed for themselves.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and generally stable across suitable rocky coastal habitat in southern South America and the Falkland Islands.
Kelp Goose: common questions
Why do male and female kelp geese look so different?
This species shows one of the most extreme examples of colour difference between the sexes in any waterfowl, with males almost entirely pure white and females a mottled dark grey and black, a difference far more pronounced than in most other geese.
What does the kelp goose eat?
This species feeds almost entirely on kelp and other seaweeds, grazed directly from rocks exposed along the shoreline at low tide, an unusually specialised diet for a goose.
Where does the kelp goose live?
This species breeds along rocky coastlines of southern South America and the Falkland Islands, remaining closely tied to the shoreline and rarely venturing far inland.
Are kelp geese territorial?
Yes, this species forms strongly territorial pairs that defend a stretch of shoreline against other kelp geese, particularly during the breeding season when competition for nesting sites increases.