Pink-footed goose
The pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) is a goose which breeds in eastern Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. It is migratory. It winters in northwest Europe, especially Great Britain, the Netherlands, and western Denmark.
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| Anser brachyrhynchus | |
It is a medium-sized goose, 60–75 cm (24–30 in) long. The wingspan is 135–170 (53–67 in) cm. It weighs 1.8–3.4 kg (4–7.5 lbs). It has a short bill, bright pink in the middle with a black base and tip, and pink feet. The body is grey-brown, the head and neck a richer, darker brown, the rump white, and the tail grey with a broad white tip.
Ecology
Nesting is often on cliffs close to glaciers. This gives protection from mammalian predators (mainly Arctic Fox). Three to six eggs are laid in early to mid May in Iceland, late May in Svalbard. Incubation lasts 26–27 days. On hatching, the goslings go with the parents on foot to the nearest lake. They fledge after about 56 days. Southbound migration is from mid September to early October, and northbound from mid April to early May.[2]
The diet is almost entirely vegetarian. In summer, they feed on a wide range of tundra plants, both on land and in water. In winter, they graze mostly on oilseed rape, sugar beet, potato, and various grasses. Damage to crops can be large.
Pink-footed Goose Media
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2004). Anser brachyrhynchus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
- ↑ Cramp S. 1977. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Oxford ISBN 0-19-857358-8.