White-Fronted
Goose of Britain and Ireland
Photo
credit: NDomer73 on Visual hunt / CC
BY-NC-ND
Large flocks of White-Fronted Geese from Russia and those belonging to a subspecies of the White-Fronted Goose, Anser albifrons flavirostris, from Greenland arrive on the shores of Britain and Ireland in October.
Internationally important numbers of White-Fronted Geese winter in Britain and Ireland. White-Fronted Geese do not breed in Britain and Ireland.
The population of White-Fronted Geese from Russia is currently stable. However, the race from Greenland has experienced a fall in their numbers in their breeding ground. White-Fronted Geese from Greeland are now some of Europe’s rarest geese.
Adults are grey-brown with a large white patch on the front of the head, around the bill and thick black bars on the belly. The legs are orange.
Juveniles lack the white on the forehead and black bars around the breast.
Russian White-Fronted Geese have pink bills while those from Greenland are orange.
The wintering population of Russian White-Fronted Geese that arrive in Britain and Ireland is thought to be in the region of between 10,000 and 14,000 birds.
Wintering Russian White-Fronted Geese in Britain and Ireland belong to the “North Sea Group”. The “North Sea Group” also includes Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
“The north-west European population migrates along the Baltic coasts and uses staging areas in southern Sweden and eastern Germany where numbers peak in November, before moving west into the Netherlands and Britain where numbers peak in January”[JNCC – please see link below).
Russian White-Fronted Geese are found in only a few sites along the coast of Britain.
“White-fronted geese can be seen in south England especially the Severn estuary in Gloucestershire and the Swale estuary in Kent for Russian birds. Ireland and West Scotland for Greenland birds” [RSPB - https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/white-fronted-goose/ ).
Smaller numbers can be seen in many areas of England and Wales. Russian White-Fronted Geese rarely fly to Scotland or Ireland.
“Spring migration is easterly, with birds staging in southern Russia for up to a month before moving north in May to their breeding grounds” [JNCC - http://archive.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/UKSPA/UKSPA-A6-19.pdf ).
The other four wintering grounds used by Russian White-Fronted Geese are The “Pannonic group”which is made up Yugoslavia, Hungary and Italy; The “Pontic group” comprises of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and central Turkey. The “Anatolian group” refers to eastern Turkey only.
Wintering White-Fronted Geese in Scotland and Ireland are almost exclusively from Greenland. They fly across the North Atlantic to Iceland and then to Britain and Ireland.
They are dispersed widely over western Scotland and are found in only a few sites in Ireland.
Large flocks of White-Fronted Geese return to the same site yearly in the Wexford Slobs and south-eastern Ireland.
Ireland plays host to approximately a third, or between 8,000 and 10,000, of the global population of White-Fronted Geese from Greenland. Another 13,000 spend the winter in Scotland.
Wintering birds arrive in October and leave between March and April [RSPB Handbook of Scottish Birds).
White-Fronted Geese are sociable birds who remain in family groups throughout the winter.
Large flocks can be seen flying in lines sometimes “V” formations at dusk or dawn. The large flock disperses into smaller groups during the day.
The wintering sites include peatlands, extensive areas of grasslands and coastal pastures.
White-Fronted Geese roost along sandbanks and other suitable places along estuaries, large lakes and lochs. Their calls resemble high-pitched laughing.
White-Fronted Geese search for food on open areas of grasslands near water, wet pastures along the coast and river valleys. They have also adapted to grazing on farmland in recent years.
The main diet of the White-Fronted Goose is vegetarian. They eat the leaves, stems, roots and seeds of plants such as grains, barley, potatoes, sugar beet, horsetails, clover, cotton grass and couch grass.
Adults begin breeding when they are 3 years old although pairs are formed when they are 2 years of age. Pairs stay together for life.
The average lifespan of the White Fronted Goose is 5 years.
The White-Fronted Goose is classified as of Least Concern by IUCN.
The European population is currently “stable”. The White-Fronted Goose population has “undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (5500% increase over 40 years” [Birdlife International ).
The White-Fronted Goose is a red-listed species of bird in Britain and Ireland.
Sadly, the population of White-Fronted Geese from Greenland is declining
“The population declined from the 1950s until the 1970s, but legislation in 1982 removed hunting pressure on the wintering grounds and the population doubled to 35,600 between then and 1999…Since 1999, the whole population has shown widespread decline”
The reasons for the fall in their numbers include “June weather”, hunting in Iceland and competition with Greater Canada Geese.
Breeding Greater Canada Geese have recently arrived in the west of Greenland
[Researchgate - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286949163_The_rise_and_fall_of_Greenland_White-fronted_goose_A_case_study_in_international_conservation ).
Disturbance from tourists and cruise liners on their breeding grounds in Greenland is also a cause for concern.
The most significant threat to White-Fronted Geese on their wintering sites in Scotland and Ireland are changes in farming practices.
For example, “local farmers that do have grass are, by February, keeping geese away from this crop which is being prepared for cattle housed through winter months”. [Ask Ireland - http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography/flora-fauna/flora-and-fauna-of-wexfor/the-greenland-white-front/ ).
General threats to the White-Fronted Goose include hunting, disturbance at staging sites, poisoning from pesticides on farmland, pollution from oil spills and drainage to their wetland habitat.
For more information on the birds of the gardens and countryside of Britain and Ireland, please visit,
http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/index.html
Interesting Articles
Irish Times - Another Life: Was it for this the wild geese spread the grey wing on every tide?
By Michael Viney:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/another-life-was-it-for-this-the-wild-geese-spread-the-grey-wing-on-every-tide-1.2812112
Birdguides - Goose ‘fitness tracker’ reveals migration struggles:
https://www.birdguides.com/articles/goose-fitness-tracker-reveals-migration-struggles
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