Key information
The barnacle goose is a medium-sized, sociable goose, with black head, neck and breast with creamy-white face. This contrasts with the white belly, blue-grey barred back and black tail. It flies in packs and long lines, with a noisy chorus of barking or yapping sounds.
What they eat:
Vegetation, the leaves and stems of grasses, roots and seeds.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 58-70 cm
- Wingspan:
- 132-145 cm
- Weight:
- 1.3 to 2.2 kg
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 900 pairs
- UK wintering:
- 58,000 from the Greenland breeding population, 33,000 from Svalbard in northern Russia and 3,000 from the feral UK populations
- Europe:
- >390,000
Identifying features:
Barnacle goose
