Screamers and the magpie goose are the curious outliers of waterfowl aviculture - large, primitive, water-associated birds that are not quite geese. Non-native and keepable by specialists. Here is the full guide.
This guide closes with a small but genuine group of birds that do not fit neatly anywhere else: the screamers and the magpie goose. They are 'waterfowl-adjacent' - large, water-associated birds that sit near the waterfowl on the bird family tree without being true ducks, geese, or swans. They are kept by specialist waterfowl aviculturists, and they belong in any complete legality reference.
There are only four species in total: three screamers - the Horned Screamer, the Southern Screamer, and the Northern Screamer - and the single, monotypic Magpie Goose of Australia and New Guinea. All four are South American or Australasian birds; none is native to the United States.
The headline answer is straightforward: as non-native species, all four are legal to keep as captive-bred exotic birds, outside the reach of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They are uncommon, specialist birds, and state exotic-wildlife rules apply - but for the experienced waterfowl keeper, screamers and the magpie goose are an attainable and fascinating addition. This guide covers each.
The law for these four birds is light, because their non-native status keeps them out of the heaviest framework.
No federal migratory-bird restriction. The screamers are South American birds and the magpie goose is an Australasian bird. None has a natural range in North America, so the Migratory Bird Treaty Act - which protects native migratory birds - does not apply to any of them. This is the same favorable position that makes non-native ornamental waterfowl, pheasants, and tinamous keepable.
State exotic-wildlife law. The governing layer is state. As large exotic birds, screamers and magpie geese fall under whatever exotic-wildlife or, in some states, game-bird or aviculture rules a state maintains. Some states require an exotic-bird possession permit; others are relatively permissive toward captive-bred exotic waterfowl. The four strictest states for exotics - California, Hawaii, New York, and Florida - warrant the usual extra check.
USDA and CITES. As with other large exotic birds, USDA APHIS disease and import rules can apply to acquisition and movement. The screamers and magpie goose are not, as a group, heavily CITES-burdened, but confirming the exact species' status is always sound practice. The practical first step is simple: contact your state wildlife agency to learn how it classifies these birds.
The screamers (family Anhimidae) are large, bulky, long-legged South American birds that look something like a cross between a goose and a turkey. They are named, accurately, for their extraordinarily loud, far-carrying calls - a screamer announcing itself can be heard across a considerable distance.
There are three species. The Southern Screamer (Chauna torquata) is the species most often kept in aviculture - a hardy, adaptable bird and the realistic choice for a keeper wanting a screamer. The Northern Screamer (Chauna chavaria) is less common in collections and more restricted in its native range. The Horned Screamer (Anhima cornuta) is the most spectacular - a large bird carrying a long, thin, forward-curving 'horn' of cartilage on its forehead, unique among birds.
Screamers have several curious features: they have spurs on the bend of the wing, partially webbed feet despite their water-associated life, and a layer of air pockets under the skin. They are marsh and wetland birds, grazing on vegetation, and they are surprisingly good fliers and strong walkers. For the specialist waterfowl keeper, the Southern Screamer is an unusual, characterful, and genuinely keepable bird - with the important caveat of that very loud voice.
The Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is one of the most distinctive waterfowl-adjacent birds in the world - a striking black-and-white bird of the wetlands of northern Australia and southern New Guinea, and the sole living member of its family, Anseranatidae.
The magpie goose is a genuinely primitive bird - an ancient offshoot of the waterfowl line that retains features the true ducks, geese, and swans have lost. It only partially webbed feet, it perches readily in trees, it does not undergo the simultaneous wing molt that grounds true geese, and it has unusual breeding habits, including a tendency toward trios of one male with two females sharing a nest.
As a non-native Australasian species, the magpie goose is legal to keep in the United States as a captive-bred exotic bird, subject to state exotic-wildlife rules. It is kept by specialist waterfowl aviculturists who value it precisely for its evolutionary distinctiveness - it is, in a sense, a living window into the ancient history of the waterfowl. It is a striking, hardy, and surprisingly approachable bird for the keeper who can source it.
Screamers and the magpie goose are never going to be common birds, so it is worth being clear about why a keeper would want them.
The appeal is distinctiveness. These are not just unusual-looking birds; they are evolutionary outliers - the screamers and the magpie goose both sit on ancient branches of the waterfowl family tree, retaining primitive features that the familiar ducks, geese, and swans have long since lost. For a serious waterfowl aviculturist, keeping a magpie goose or a Southern Screamer is a way of holding a piece of the deep history of the group.
They are also large, characterful, and long-lived birds with strong personalities, and in a mixed waterfowl collection they add a dimension that ducks and geese alone cannot. The Horned Screamer in particular is a true showpiece.
And, relative to many of the rarer birds in this guide, they are legally accessible - non-native, outside the MBTA, not heavily CITES-burdened. For the experienced keeper, that combination of legal accessibility and evolutionary fascination is the draw.
These birds are specialist waterfowl, and their husbandry reflects their wetland origins and large size.
They need spacious enclosures with water and grazing - access to water and to ample vegetation to graze, since both screamers and magpie geese are largely vegetarian, eating grasses, aquatic plants, and similar forage, supplemented with appropriate waterfowl or all-flock feed. Strong, predator-proof fencing and good drainage matter, as for any large waterfowl.
The screamers come with one specific warning that is right there in the name: they are extremely loud. A screamer's call carries far enough to be a genuine consideration for neighbors, and - as with roosters, guineas, and peafowl - local noise tolerance should be weighed before acquiring one. The magpie goose is more moderate but still a vocal bird.
Temperament is worth a word. Screamers in particular can become assertive, even territorial, especially in the breeding season, and a large screamer is a powerful bird; keepers handle them with respect and give them room. They can, however, also become remarkably tame and personable with their keepers, and some collections value screamers as much for their character as for their rarity. The magpie goose is generally the more equable of the group. Mixing either with smaller, more delicate waterfowl should be done thoughtfully, with space and cover enough that no bird is bullied, and breeding pairs in particular benefit from their own quarters.
Both screamers and magpie geese are long-lived and reasonably hardy once established, though as warm-climate birds they appreciate shelter in cold regions. Many keepers and many situations call for the birds to be pinioned, since both are capable fliers. For an experienced waterfowl keeper with space, water, and tolerant neighbors, they are robust and rewarding birds.
Screamers and magpie geese are sourced through specialist waterfowl breeders and collections - not general poultry or even general game-bird channels. Availability is limited, and a prospective keeper should expect to seek these birds out, join the specialist waterfowl-aviculture community, and likely wait for stock.
The realistic entry points are the Southern Screamer among the screamers and the Magpie Goose - both are the most established in aviculture and the most likely to be found as captive-bred stock. The Horned and Northern Screamers are scarcer.
Buy captive-bred birds with provenance from a reputable specialist, confirm USDA considerations for any movement, and - because these are large exotic birds - secure any state exotic-bird permit before acquiring them. Confirm whether pinioning is required or advisable for your situation.
For the experienced waterfowl keeper, the effort is worthwhile: screamers and the magpie goose are among the most evolutionarily fascinating birds a private collection can hold, and they are, refreshingly, legally accessible. They are a fitting close to a guide that has ranged from the universal backyard chicken to the institutional flamingo - a reminder that the world of keepable birds is wide, and that the law, navigated carefully, leaves room for the wonderfully obscure.
The screamers and the magpie goose are the legally accessible end of exotic waterfowl-adjacent aviculture. All four species - the Horned, Southern, and Northern Screamers and the Magpie Goose - are non-native birds with no natural range in the United States, so the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act does not reach them, and they are not, as a group, heavily CITES-burdened.
The governing layer is state exotic-wildlife law, and USDA APHIS rules can apply to acquisition and movement. The practical homework is short: confirm with your state wildlife agency how it classifies large exotic waterfowl, secure any required exotic-bird permit, and buy captive-bred stock with provenance from a specialist breeder.
For the experienced waterfowl keeper, the realistic choices are the Southern Screamer and the Magpie Goose - the most established species in aviculture - kept in spacious enclosures with water and grazing, with the screamers' famous loud voice weighed against neighbor tolerance. These are robust, long-lived, evolutionarily remarkable birds, and they are, by the standards of the rarer birds in this guide, genuinely attainable. They make a fitting final entry: living proof that careful attention to the law opens the door to some of the most extraordinary birds on earth.
| Southern Screamer | Non-native; the most kept screamer. Outside the MBTA; state exotic permit may apply. |
|---|---|
| Horned Screamer | Non-native; spectacular but scarcer in aviculture; state rules apply. |
| Northern Screamer | Non-native; uncommon in collections; state rules apply. |
| Magpie Goose | Non-native Australasian species. Legal as captive-bred exotic; state exotic rules apply. |
| Federal / MBTA | Not protected - none of these species is native to the US. |
Yes. The screamers and the magpie goose are non-native birds with no natural range in the US, so the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act does not apply. They are kept as captive-bred exotic birds, subject to state exotic-wildlife rules.
Screamers are large, bulky, long-legged South American birds of the family Anhimidae, named for their extremely loud calls. There are three species - the Horned, Southern, and Northern Screamer - and they are waterfowl-adjacent marsh birds.
The Magpie Goose is a striking black-and-white waterfowl-adjacent bird of northern Australia and southern New Guinea - the sole living member of its family, and a primitive offshoot of the waterfowl line that perches in trees and has only partially webbed feet.
There is no federal migratory-bird restriction, but as large exotic birds they fall under state exotic-wildlife rules, and some states require an exotic-bird possession permit. USDA APHIS rules can also apply to movement. Confirm with your state wildlife agency.
The Southern Screamer is the species most established in aviculture and the realistic choice for a keeper wanting a screamer. The Horned and Northern Screamers are scarcer in collections.
Yes - very. Screamers are named for their extraordinarily loud, far-carrying calls. As with roosters, guineas, and peafowl, local noise tolerance should be weighed before acquiring one.
Both are largely vegetarian, grazing on grasses and aquatic plants, supplemented with appropriate waterfowl or all-flock feed. They need access to grazing and to water.
They are waterfowl-adjacent - near the waterfowl on the family tree but not true geese. Both the screamers and the magpie goose sit on ancient branches, retaining primitive features the true ducks, geese, and swans have lost.
Both are capable fliers, and many keepers and many situations call for them to be pinioned so they cannot escape. Pinioning is permanent and done at the day-old stage. Confirm what your situation and state require.
Both are long-lived birds, commonly reaching well over a decade and often two decades or more in good captive conditions. Keeping them is a long-term commitment.
Through specialist waterfowl breeders and collections - not general poultry channels. Availability is limited; expect to seek these birds out within the specialist waterfowl-aviculture community and buy captive-bred stock with provenance.
They can be kept in mixed waterfowl collections, but thoughtfully. Screamers especially can become assertive in the breeding season, so allow enough space and cover that smaller, more delicate waterfowl are not bullied.
Both are reasonably hardy once established, though as warm-climate birds they appreciate shelter in cold regions. Given space, water, grazing, and predator-proof fencing, they are robust birds for an experienced keeper.
For an experienced waterfowl keeper with space, water, grazing, and - for screamers - tolerant neighbors, yes. They are robust, long-lived, evolutionarily fascinating birds and, by the standards of rare aviculture, genuinely attainable.
The Horned Screamer carries a long, thin, forward-curving spike of cartilage on its forehead - a structure unique among birds. It is not a weapon; it is a distinctive ornament that gives the species its name.
Both are water-associated birds with only partially webbed feet. They wade, graze at the water's edge, and can swim, but they are not the strong, constant swimmers that true ducks and geese are - they spend much of their time on land.
Yes. Unlike true geese, the magpie goose readily perches in trees - one of several primitive features that set it apart. It is an ancient offshoot of the waterfowl line, retaining traits the true ducks, geese, and swans have lost.
This guide is general educational information, not legal advice. Wildlife, agriculture, and zoning law varies by state, county, and municipality and changes frequently. Verify current requirements with your state wildlife agency, USDA APHIS, the USFWS, and your local government before acquiring, breeding, selling, releasing, or transporting any bird.