adult

adult flying European distribution flying

Identification

The Greylag Goose is the species from which most farmyard geese were bred as can be seen by comparing their calls and the size, shape and colour of their bills and feet. In the wild the big deep-based bill, pink or orange is always diagnostic and the pink legs would rule out any species other than Pink-foot. Greylags are also bigger, bulkier and paler than other grey geese. The head, neck, chest, belly, upperwing, underwing and rump can all look conspicuously pale grey, making flight identification relatively easy.

Habitat

Breeds on boggy moorland, often near water. Winters on flooded grassland, estuaries and arable fields.

Behaviour

This was the species on which Konrad Lorenz, the famous behavioural scientist, performed many of his experiments, demonstrating that the chicks would regard the first moving thing they saw as their parent, a process known as 'imprinting'.

Migration

Icelandic birds join the resident British population in Scotland during the winter. Scandinavian birds move southwest, chiefly wintering in France and Spain. Central and southern European populations winter around the Mediterranean.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Greylag Goose is classed as Common: common species, including species that are certain or probable escapees from captivity when occurring in the British Isles. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Apaj, Hungary 18/07/2009	W Kirby, Cheshire 06/02/2010	Leighton Moss, Lancs 29/01/2010	Holywell Dene, Northumbs 30/01/2010	Holywell Dene, Northumbs 30/01/2010
Maldon, Essex 30/01/2010	Leighton Moss, Lancs 30/01/2010	Leighton Moss, Lancs 30/01/2010	Leighton Moss, Lancs 30/01/2010	Forfar Loch, Angus/Dundee 29/01/2010

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Greylag Goose breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Albania
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Britain
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Moldova
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Romania
Russia
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Svalbard
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine

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	Winter Geese: Part 1 - The 'grey geese' (Full Text)	Tuesday 10th February 2004
	The 'grey geese' can provide some headaches when it comes to identifying them to race or species. Find out more about where these birds come from and what they look like – Tundra or Taiga, Eurasian or Greenland?

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