Cape Barren geese, The Nobbies, June 2018, Photo: Paul Cummings
On a recent visit to Phillip Island, Paul Cummings sighted this Cape Barren goose family between the Nobbies and Summerlands beach. The nest from which the chicks had recently hatched was still lined with down.
Last century Cape Barren geese were hunted almost to extinction, and they remain one of the world’s rarest geese. It’s hard to believe when you see the numbers on Phillip Island but they are listed as vulnerable in Victoria. According to Birdlife Australia, the father builds the nest and lines it with down, the mother incubates the eggs and both parents look after the chicks.
Cape Barren goose nest, The Nobbies, June 2018, Photo: Paul Cummings