Some may read the title and think “what is that?! A freak of nature? Science creating some hideous hybrid?!!?!?” The answer is more interesting: the Magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is the last of a family of waterfowl, the Anseranatidae, which is a living fossil from the KPg boundary. The magpie name refers to the distinctive colouring, resembling said bird. Only one model of this bird has been made by an official company, our old friends Yowies, which makes sense as an Australian species. Let’s see how they did.
The anatomy is spot on to the real animal, with the beak noted for waterfowl, and the fact that it’s feet are not fully webbed, as can be seen here. Perfect! The size of the crest on the head suggests this may be a female.
This is a reasonably large figure for a Yowies model, measuring 2.4″ high and 2.1″ long, so would be better alongside larger lines. It does feature some articulation, the neck and legs can move up and down, giving it some potential posing options, but it will break up the body and expose seams.
This is a really good model of an unique species, and well worth getting in my opinion. I’ll grant, there aren’t exactly many options for getting it, but this one is worth the effort to hunt down. It is discontinued, so eBay is your best bet, and I think you should consider it. It’s a great little model.
Not a bad likeness for this species; a bird goofy enough to look like it should as an original Yowie 😀 lol