The Recherche Cape Barren Goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae grisea), also known as the Cape Barren Goose (southwestern), is large grazing bird found along the southern coast of Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

. It is a subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 of the Cape Barren Goose

Cape Barren Goose

The Cape Barren Goose is a large goose resident in southern Australia. The species is named for Cape Barren Island, where specimens were first sighted by European explorers.-Taxonomy:...

, the other subspecies of which inhabits islands and coastal regions of Bass Strait

Bass Strait

Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...

 in south-eastern Australia. It is distinguished by its larger size and variant colouring.

Distribution and habitat

The subspecies is found on the beaches, pasture, rocky areas, and islands of the Recherche Archipelago, which is its only breeding site. It also visits Pink Lake

Pink Lake, Western Australia

Pink Lake is an outer western suburb of Esperance, a town in south-eastern Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Esperance, and it is located west-northwest of Esperance's central business district. It is named for Pink Lake, a pink-blue lake located within its boundaries....

 and Red islet. The Cape Arid

Cape Arid National Park

Cape Arid National Park is a national park in Western Australia , south east of Perth. The park is situated east of Esperance and lies on shore from the eastern end of the Recherche Archipelago...

, Stokes

Stokes National Park

Stokes National Park is a national park in Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia , 538 km south-east of Perth.The National Park is located west of Esperance on the southern coast...

, and Cape Le Grand

Cape Le Grand National Park

Cape Le Grand National Park is a national park in Western Australia, south-east of Perth and east of Esperance. The park covers an area of The area is an ancient landscape has above sea level for well over 200 million years and remained unglaciated...

National Parks are also occupied in summer months.

Behaviour

The geese feed by grazing and rarely swim. Nesting takes place mainly on the larger scrub-covered islands of the Archipelago, notably Cull Island.

Status and conservation

Historically the population of the western subspecies was about 1000 individuals, declining in the early 1990s, with the current population considered stable. Its relative rarity of the subspecies makes it vulnerable to extinction.