In the Pantanal, the species is considered rare and of isolated occurrence. It is migratory, probably originating from the Bolivia Chaco. The main threats to the species in the floodplain Pantanal are the loss of wintering sites due to climate change and changes in flood pulses that will be promoted by the implementation of the Paraguay-Paraná waterway project.
At the Barba Azul Nature Reserve, located within Bolivia’s Beni Savanna ecoregion, the Orinoco Goose was historically observed in large numbers and successfully bred in artificial nestboxes installed across the reserve. However, over the past five years, sightings of the species have significantly declined, and none of the nestboxes are currently being used for nesting. The cause of this decline is uncertain. It may be linked to the return of large native predators following our habitat restauration and protection program, potentially increasing predation pressure, or to the recovery of denser vegetation as cattle grazing has been reduced, which could have altered the open habitat structure that the species prefers. These hypotheses remain unconfirmed due to the lack of targeted research.
Satellite telemetry data from Lisa Davenport has demonstrated that Orinoco Geese undertake local and seasonal movements. One individual tagged at Barba Azul was tracked to the Mamoré River estuary east from Barba Azul, where it remained for an extended period in oxbow lake habitats, suggesting that the species depends on a network of habitats across a broad landscape.
In addition to these localized concerns, large-scale habitat loss poses a growing threat. Climate change is projected to significantly affect the Beni Savanna, which constitutes the most important Orinoco Goose habitat in Bolivia. Furthermore, the new Land Use Reform Plan for Beni proposes converting approximately 83% of natural grasslands and marsh ecosystems into agricultural land. If implemented, this would result in a substantial loss of suitable habitat and likely have a major negative impact on the Orinoco Goose population. Given these escalating threats, the lack of current breeding at historically active sites, and the absence of reliable population trend data, continued monitoring is urgently needed. Any future reassessment of the species’ conservation status should carefully consider both site-specific and landscape-level pressures, which may not yet be fully captured in existing data.
In the Pantanal, the species is considered rare and of isolated occurrence. It is migratory, probably originating from the Bolivia Chaco. The main threats to the species in the floodplain Pantanal are the loss of wintering sites due to climate change and changes in flood pulses that will be promoted by the implementation of the Paraguay-Paraná waterway project.
At the Barba Azul Nature Reserve, located within Bolivia’s Beni Savanna ecoregion, the Orinoco Goose was historically observed in large numbers and successfully bred in artificial nestboxes installed across the reserve. However, over the past five years, sightings of the species have significantly declined, and none of the nestboxes are currently being used for nesting. The cause of this decline is uncertain. It may be linked to the return of large native predators following our habitat restauration and protection program, potentially increasing predation pressure, or to the recovery of denser vegetation as cattle grazing has been reduced, which could have altered the open habitat structure that the species prefers. These hypotheses remain unconfirmed due to the lack of targeted research.
Satellite telemetry data from Lisa Davenport has demonstrated that Orinoco Geese undertake local and seasonal movements. One individual tagged at Barba Azul was tracked to the Mamoré River estuary east from Barba Azul, where it remained for an extended period in oxbow lake habitats, suggesting that the species depends on a network of habitats across a broad landscape.
In addition to these localized concerns, large-scale habitat loss poses a growing threat. Climate change is projected to significantly affect the Beni Savanna, which constitutes the most important Orinoco Goose habitat in Bolivia. Furthermore, the new Land Use Reform Plan for Beni proposes converting approximately 83% of natural grasslands and marsh ecosystems into agricultural land. If implemented, this would result in a substantial loss of suitable habitat and likely have a major negative impact on the Orinoco Goose population. Given these escalating threats, the lack of current breeding at historically active sites, and the absence of reliable population trend data, continued monitoring is urgently needed. Any future reassessment of the species’ conservation status should carefully consider both site-specific and landscape-level pressures, which may not yet be fully captured in existing data.