The Orinoco goose (Neochen jubata ) is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae, and placed in the genus Neochen. Three fossil relatives have been described from Pleistocene sites: Neochen pugil from Brazil, Neochen debilis from Argentina and Neochen barbadiana from Barbados.
Based on a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014, some authorities place this species together with the Andean goose in the resurrected genus Oressochen.
Orinoco geese are typically 61 to 76 cm (24 to 30 in) long. They have pale heads and necks, chestnut flanks and mantles and blackish wings with white speculae. Their legs are red, their bills black and pinkish. The sexes are identical in plumage, though the males are larger; juveniles have duller plumage.
Males have high pitched whistling calls, and females cackle like the related Egyptian goose.
The Orinoco are resident breeders in the forests of tropical South America. Largely terrestrial, they also perch readily in trees. They rarely swim or fly, unless hard-pressed. In flight, they look heavy, more like geese than ducks, hence the English name. They prefer forest lakes or marshes with access to open woodland or savanna, or beaches with direct access to river channels. They are more rarely seen in tributary areas.
Orinoco geese have escaped or been deliberately released into Florida, where there is no evidence they breed, persisting rather due to continual releases and escapes.
