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Greylag goose

Greylag goose
Greylag goose
  • Scientific name: Anser anser
  • Bird family: Ducks, geese and swans
  • UK conservation status: Amber
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Audio

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Patrik Aberg, Xeno-canto

Key information

The ancestor of most domestic geese, the greylag is the largest and bulkiest of the wild geese native to the UK and Europe. In many parts of the UK it has been re-established by releasing birds in suitable areas, but the resulting flocks (often mixed with Canada geese) found around gravel pits, lakes and reservoirs all year round in southern Britain tend to be semi-tame and uninspiring. The native birds and wintering flocks found in Scotland retain the special appeal of truly wild geese.

Greylag geese are listed in Schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning they can be killed or taken outside of the close season.

What they eat:

Grass, roots, cereal leaves and spilled grain.

Measurements:

Length:
76-89cm
Wingspan:
147-180 cm
Weight:
2.9-3.7kg

Population:

UK breeding:
46,000 pairs
UK wintering:
140,000 British-breeding birds and 88,000 from Iceland

Identifying features:

Greylag goose

Greylag goose
Feather colour: Brown Cream/buff Grey White
Leg colour: Orange Pink
Beak: Orange Long Duck-like Chunky
Natural habitats: Farmland Grassland Marine and intertidal Urban and suburban Wetland

Similar birds:

  • Bean goose taiga race
    Taiga bean goose
  • Pink-footed goose
    Pink-footed goose
  • Greenland white fronted goose
    White-fronted goose

Where and when to see them

Greylag geese are easily seen in lowland areas of the UK all year, sometimes even in suburban parks with lakes but especially on low-lying grassy fields in river valleys. Wild ones, however, are found mostly north of the Solway and can be seen at RSPB nature reserves such as Mersehead (Dumfries & Galloway), Vane Farm (Fife) and Loch of Strathbeg (Grampian) from September to April. Wild breeding greylags can be found at Forsinard (Caithnes & Sutherland).

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Greylag goose distribution map

Greylag geese can be seen all year round in the south - mostly September to March or April where wild visitors appear in the north.

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Video

Video

Footage of greylag geese.

Footage of greylag geese.

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Greylag goose video screenshot

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