Anseranas semipalmata
Silhouette: Neville William Cayley · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
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".
The magpie goose has black-and-white plumage in both sexes, with a long neck and legs and a long hooked bill. The males are 75–90 cm (30–35 in) in length and weigh 2.76 kg (6.1 lb) on average. The female is smaller, being 70–80 cm (28–31 in) in length and weighing 2.07 kg (4.6 lb). The wingspan of this bird spans 130–180 cm (4.3–5.9 ft). Their voice is a loud resonant honking. Its legs and feet are orange. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie Goose sighting in Kakadu National Park on a given day, based on 1,052 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 186 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and December
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie Goose in Kakadu National Park on a given day, against about 40% in January, March and May–June, the lowest months. February has too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Magpie Goose sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Magpie Goose sightings, Kakadu National Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Daintree National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 20%).
Same order: Anseriformes
The closest relatives of the Magpie Goose that you can see in Kakadu National Park (order Anseriformes, Waterfowl) are Raja Shelduck (about 50%), Green Pygmy-Goose (about 50%) and Plumed Whistling Duck (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Magpie Goose is recorded against all the birds logged in Kakadu National Park (1,052 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
