Magpie Goose
Anseranas semipalmata
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAnseriformes
- FamilyAnseranatidae (Magpie Geese)
- GenusAnseranas (Magpie Geese)
- SpeciesAnseranas semipalmata (Magpie Goose)
The magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. The species is not truly migratory but it sometimes travels large distances to find food and water, especially when not breeding, and is sometimes recorded outside its core range. The species was once also widespread in southern Australia but disappeared from there largely due to the drainage of the wetlands where the birds once bred. Due to their importance to Aboriginal people as a seasonal food source, as subjects of recreational hunting, and as a tourist attraction, their expansive and stable presence in northern Australia has been "ensured [by] protective management". Wikipedia →
50–60% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie Goose sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 703 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Kakadu National Park
Raja Shelduck
Radjah radjah
Green Pygmy-Goose
Nettapus pulchellus
Plumed Whistling Duck
Dendrocygna eytoni
Wandering Whistling Duck
Dendrocygna arcuata
Pacific Black Duck
Anas superciliosa
Grey Teal
Anas gracilis
Australian Wood Duck
Chenonetta jubata
White-eyed Duck
Aythya australis
Pink-eared Duck
Malacorhynchus membranaceus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Magpie Goose in Kakadu National Park?
About 52% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie Goose sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 703 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Magpie Goose in Kakadu National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Magpie Goose in Kakadu National Park in our monthly data.