Large groups of Canada and Greylag Geese can be seen strutting around the reserve, so this week we are profiling the nine types of geese which can be seen in the UK. Geese are all large, stocky birds, although they vary in size, from the relatively small Brent Goose to the very large Canada Goose. They are noisy, sociable birds which form sizable flocks on migration, calling to each other to co-ordinate their flying and formation. They are monogamous, mating for life, and can be seen here at Geltsdale in their pairs.
Geese can be divided into two main groups – ‘grey’ geese of the Anser genus, of which there are five species (Pink-Footed, Greylag, Tundra Bean, Taiga Bean and White-fronted Geese), and ‘black’ geese of the Branta genus (from the old Norse word meaning ‘black’ or ‘burnt’), of which there are three species (Barnacle, Brent and Canada Geese).
‘Black’ Geese:
The Barnacle Goose (Latin name: Branta Leucopsis) is a medium-sized goose, measuring between 58 and 70 cm in length and weighing 1.3 to 2.2 kg, with a wingspan of 132 to 145 cm. It has a black head, neck and breast, a cream face, a white belly, a barred blue-grey back and a black tail. It winters in the UK, arriving from Greenland and northern Russia, and can be seen here from October to March, though some birds stay into mid-April and in some areas of the UK there are resident breeding populations which stay all year round. It makes a noisy barking sound and flies in large flocks.
The Brent Goose (Latin name: Branta bernicla) is small and dark, similar in size to a Mallard. It measures between 56 and 61 cm in length, weighs 1.3 to 1.6 kg, and has a wingspan of between 100 and 120 cm. It has a black head and neck and a grey-brown back, with either a pale or dark belly. Adults have a small, white neck patch. Brent Geese fly in loose flocks, rather than tight skeins like ‘grey’ geese and can be seen around estuaries and saltmarshes.
The Canada Goose (Latin name: Branta canadensis) was introduced to the UK from North America and has spread to cover most of the UK. It is a large goose, measuring 90 to 110 cm in length and weighing 4.3 to 5 kg, with a wingspan of 150 to 180 cm. Canada Geese can be recognised by their distinctive black head, white patch on their throats and thick, black legs beneath a brown body and cream breast. They form noisy flocks and are often seen in large numbers on farmland, wetland, grassland and parks.
‘Grey’ Geese:
The Pink-footed Goose (Latin name: Anser brachyrhynchus) is a medium-sized goose, smaller than a Mute Swan but bigger than a Mallard, and is pinkish-grey with a dark head and neck, a pink bill and pink feet and legs. It measures between 60 and 76 cm in length, weighs 2.2 to 2.7 kg, and has a wingspan of 135 to 160 cm. It does not breed in the UK, but large numbers spend the winter here, arriving from breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland, and their numbers are on the increase in England.
The Greylag Goose (Latin name: Anser Anser) is also pink-legged, but is larger than the Pink-footed Goose, with a sturdier orange bill and a larger head. It is the largest and bulkiest of the wild geese native to the UK and Europe, measuring 76 to 89 cm in length and weighing between 2.9 and 3.7 kg, with a wingspan of 147 to 180 cm. There are approximately 47,000 breeding pairs in the UK.
The Tundra Bean Goose (Latin name: Anser serrirostris) is a species of bean goose which can be seen here in the UK in winter. It is the most common species of bean goose, with a stable population. It is generally darker and more brown than other ‘grey’ geese species, with orange legs and a darker head and neck. Compared to the similar Taiga Been Goose, it is on average 20 per cent smaller, with slightly darker plumage, a stockier body and a shorter neck. Its bill is shorter and the yellow-orange patch covers less than half of its bill. It measures between 53 and 70 cm in length, weighs 1.9 to 3.3 kg, and has a wingspan of 118 to 140 cm. Tundra Bean Geese breed in the Russian tundra (flat, treeless area with permanently frozen subsoil) and winter on the European coast. There are 300 wintering pairs in the UK.
Like the Tundra Bean Goose, the Taiga Bean Goose (Latin name: Anser fabalis), winters in the UK. It is also darker and more brown than other ‘grey’ geese species, and has orange legs and a darker head and neck. It is usually about 20 per cent larger than the Tundra Bean Goose, measuring 66 to 88 cm in length and weighing 2.2 to 4kg, with a wingspan of 147 to 175 cm. It also has a sleeker body and longer neck than the Tundra Bean Goose, but a similar plumage. The orange patch on its bill usually covers more than half of the bill. There are approximately 230 pairs of Taiga Bean Geese which winter in the UK. They arrive here and in western Europe from their breeding in the taiga (coniferous, sub-arctic forest) from Western Siberia to Scandinavia.
The White-fronted Goose (Latin name: Anser albifrons) is a medium-sized grey goose, bigger than a Mallard but smaller than a mute Swan. It measures between 65 and 78 cm in length, weighs 1.9 to 2.5 kg, and has a wingspan of between 130 and 165 cm. The adults have a large, white patch around their bills and bold, black bars on their belly. Their legs are orange and Siberian birds have pink bills, while the birds from Greenland have orange bills. There are no breeding White-fronted Geese in the UK, but the two races – from Greenland and Siberia – winter here.
Finally, there is the Egyptian Goose (Latin name: Alopochen aegyptiaca), which can be seen in the UK but is a bit of an anomaly, as it was introduced to the UK as an ornamental wildfowl species. It escaped into the wild and is now breeding successfully, with around 1,850 feral pairs in the UK. It is neither a 'black' or 'grey' goose species. Related to the Shelduck, it measures between 63 and 73 cm in length, weighs 1.5 to 2.25 kg, and has a wingspan of 110 to 130 cm. It is exotic-looking, pale brown and grey with dark brown eye patches and white wing patches which can be seen in flight.