Anser brachyrhynchus
The Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) is a medium-sized goose, measuring approximately 60-75 cm (24-30 inches) in length with a wingspan of 135-170 cm (53-67 inches) and weighing between 1.8-3.4 kg (4-7.5 lbs). Its plumage is predominantly grey-brown, with a darker head and neck contrasting with a paler body. A key field mark is its short, dark bill, which features a distinctive bright pink band near the tip and at the base, along with characteristic pink legs and feet, giving the spec...
Pink-footed Geese breed in Arctic tundra, often near freshwater lakes and rivers, while wintering primarily in agricultural fields and coastal estuaries across northwestern Europe.
Their diet consists mainly of grasses, sedges, roots, tubers, and agricultural crops such as barley, wheat, and potatoes, which they obtain by grazing and grubbing.
Pink-footed Geese are highly social, forming large, noisy flocks that can number in the tens of thousands, especially during migration and winter. They are diurnal, spending much of the day grazing in fields and flying to communal roosts on water bodies or safe open ground at dusk. Their foraging...
The Pink-footed Goose has a breeding range confined to the high Arctic regions, primarily Iceland, Greenland, and the Svalbard archipelago. After breeding, the entire global population migrates southeastwards across the North Atlantic and northern Europe. Their primary wintering grounds are conce...
Least Concern
- Pink-footed Geese undertake one of the longest annual migrations of any goose, traveling thousands of kilometers between their Arctic breeding grounds and European wintering sites. - The population wintering in Great Britain has seen a remarkable increase, growing from around 30,000 birds in th...