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2

Greylag Goose (Anser anser) Alternate name(s): "Greylag" German name(s): "Graugans" Size: 75-90 cm; wing span 1.5-1.8 m Weight: 2.5-4.5 kg

Europe: Family Group 2 Family Group 2 Table Mute Swan Whooper Swan Greylag Goose Pink-footed Goose Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Canada Goose Barnacle Goose Brent Goose Red-breasted Goose Common Eider Common Scoter Velvet Scoter Common Goldeneye Common Shelduck Ruddy Shelduck Northern Shoveler Eurasian Wigeon American Wigeon Garganey Northern Pintail Mallard Eurasian Teal Gadwall Common Pochard Red-crested Pochard Ferruginous Duck Tufted Duck Ring-necked Duck Smew Red-breasted Merganser Goosander Great Crested Grebe Black-necked Grebe Little Grebe Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Greylag Geese are large, plump geese with a long neck. They are mostly grey, with a large, grey head, lighter grey chest and fine brownish barring on the sides, belly and flanks. The vent and undertail coverts are white. The neck and back are mostly grey, with darker grey streaking. The rump is light-grey. The light-grey upperwing coverts only show in-flight. When the wings are folded one sees a bold grey on darker-grey bar pattern and light-grey edges of the flight feathers. The irises are dark. The heavy orange bill has a slightly lighter-coloured tip. The stout legs and feet are greyish-pink. Immature Greylag Geese do not have any striation on the front, sides or neck yet. Their bill is dull orange. Juveniles are all-grey, while small gosling chicks are greyish-yellow.

Taxonomy, classification See Greylag Goose at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Greylag Goose is available HERE . Three races of Greylag Geese are distinguished, an eastern ("rubrirostris") and a western natural race ("anser") and, separately, the domesticated variety ("domesticus"). The natural population has a very wideranging distribution, breeding from the Icelandic coastline in the West to the seaboard of south-eastern Russia in the East. They populate mostly (near-)coastal areas around the Atlantic Ocean (coastal Norway, the Baltic Sea coastline, most of Britain), but are found also inland, from the Benelux countries eastward. With some gaps in eastern Europe, breeding Greylag Geese can be found basically anywhere from the North Sea coastline near the border of Belgium with France to southern Denmark eastwards into mid-latitude continental Asia (to about 60 degrees latitude), along the North coast of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, staying to the North of the Caucasus. Farther South, in some areas of Europe and in particular along the South coast of the Caspian Sea, in the Euphrates/Tigris lowlands and south-western Iran and in Pakistan, northern India, the Himalayas, northern Burma and into southern and eastern China and Taiwan only non-breeding Greylag Geese are found. For details see, e.g., Wikipedia). In Europe Greylag Greese, nominate race "anser" are found. Apart from the coastal areas mentioned above and most of England and Scotland, they breed in the northern half of central Europe, from the northern tip of France northward and eastward through the Benelux countries, the northern half of Germany into the northern Czech republic, Poland and the Baltic states and also large parts of European Russia. They are also found breeding in an area to the East of the Alps and all around the northern coastline of the Black Sea and the Caucasus mountains. Elsewhere, e.g. the French coastline of the Gulf of Biscay and parts of the Mediterranean, only non-breeding populations are found. Greylag Geese breed in a variety of aquatic habitats, from lakes with reeds to riverine marshes and coastal areas, e.g. estuaries. They feed in open grassland and pasture. They will stand their ground against humans and are often found feeding in riverside parklands and urban parks, but also along roadside margins near water.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "anser" C. Pears reports finding Greylag Geese, race "anser", in various locations in England and in Iceland in January 2011 and in February 2013. Others were found at Keswick, Lake District, England, in September 2023. J. Pires reports spotting Greylag Geese, race "anser", at the Montargil Dam, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, in January 2015, and in the Tejo estuary, Portugal, in November/December 2019. H. Dahlem-Senger reports spotting Greylag Geese, race "anser", regularly along the river Rhine, in the Rheingau, Germany, where they are found breeding. They were also seen on Fehmarn island, Germany, in April 2016. They were found in abundance along the German East Frisian coastline in June 2021. D. Wilczynska reports spotting Greylag Geese, race "anser", in wetlands of the river Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, in April 2017, and in Biebrza NP, Poland, in May 2017. M. Eaton found Greylag Geese, race "anser", at Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018. M. Eaton also spotted Greylag Geese, race "anser", at St. James's Park, London, England, in September 2019.

Photos

Race "anser"

This race is also called the "Western Greylag Goose".

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up near-lateral view of an adult Greylag Goose (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Fehmarn, Germany, April 2016]

Close-up lateral view of a Greylag Goose (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of a Greylag Goose (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. James's Park, London, England, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Greylag Goose (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2019]

Dorsal view of a Greylag Goose spreading its wings, thereby showing its upperwing pattern (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2019]

Flock of Greylag Geese in their winter quarters (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2019]

Group of Greylag Geese, possibly non-breeders, on a dyke on the Baltic Sea coastline (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Fehmarn, Germany, April 2016]

Greylag Goose in a submerged meadow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2017]

Greylag Geese in a submerged meadow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]

Comparison of two Greylag Geese with a Canada Goose (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, between Walluf and Eltville, Germany, May 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Pair of Greylag Geese with six goslings (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, near Eltville, Germany, May 2015]

Closer look at a Greylag Goose with five goslings (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, near Eltville, Germany, May 2015]

Dorsal view of a pair of Greylag Geese with six goslings (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, near Eltville, Germany, May 2015]

Dorsal view of a Greylag Goose resting with six goslings (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, between Walluf and Eltville, Germany, May 2022]

Dorsal view of a Greylag Goose resting with goslings (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, between Walluf and Eltville, Germany, May 2022]

Behaviour

Greylag Geese can form substantial flocks. Like other large, heavy birds, they know how to minimize air resistance by flying in skeins.

Lateral view of a flock of Greylag Geese in flight (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, between Walluf and Eltville, Germany, October 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a flock of Greylag Geese in flight (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, between Walluf and Eltville, Germany, October 2022]

Food, Diet

Close-up lateral view of a Greylag Goose feeding on grass (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Pair of Greylag Geese leading their offspring to pasture; note that the goslings are moulting out of their early downy plumage (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, near Eltville, Germany, May 2013]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

grlgoos_dw_20180412.m4a	anser (Poland)	Contact calls(?); flock	© DW
grlgoos_jp_20200517.m4a	anser (Portugal)	?	© JP
grlgoos_jp_20230222.mp3	anser (Portugal)	?	© JP

More Greylag Goose sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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