Bar-headed Goose

Hi Baines

According to Collins, they are still considered as escaped feral birds in Europe

Yeah thats right, and who dares argue with Collins :) Has anybody seen them breeding in the Uk. Black Swans are another example. I can see both these species becoming British at some point. I can't see any reason why they wouldn't breed.

Both Bar-headed Goose and Black Swan are breeding in small numbers (fewer than 15 pairs each) in the UK. Both are currently in Category E of the British Ornithologists Union's official British list, which means: 'Species that have been recorded as introductions, human-assisted transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self-sustaining.'

If they do become more established they'll follow in the footsteps of other exotic wildfowl like Mandarin and Egyptian Goose and be elevated to Cat C: 'Species that, although introduced, now derive from the resulting self-sustaining populations.'

 

I was in Grange-over-Sands (Cumbria) yesterday and saw breeding pairs on the water there.

Martin the birds there are part of a collection snd cannot be considered wild birds even if they do breed
By the way the thread you replied to is 10 years old

Hi Martin, I've visited the ornamental gardens in Grange over sands a few times which used to have a wider collection of ducks and geese which I believe were introduced there as part of a collection to enhance the large pond area, however, sadly birds were stolen and some were predated so there are not as many exotic water fowl there as there once was. It is still a fantastic gardens/pond to visit and you can feed the birds as long as it is proper duck food and not bread.

Saw I think about 20 bar headed geese on the shore at Grange over Sands Cumbria