Kelp Goose (Chloephaga hybrida)

The kelp goose is most commonly encountered foraging along the seashore for green seaweed (mainly of the genus Ulva), which forms the bulk of its diet (2) (4). Egg-laying takes place between late October and early November, with the female kelp goose laying a clutch of four to seven eggs in a nest made of grass and lined with breast feathers, concealed behind the beach amongst tall grass or shrubs (2) (4). During the month-long incubation period, the male stands guard over the female. Once hatched, the chicks are led from the nest, and must find their own food while remaining under the protection of the parent birds. Fledging takes place in February and the young birds become fully independent, but do not reach sexual maturity until two years old (4)

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