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.
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.
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]
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]
Adult Greylag Goose with a yery young chick in its yellowish-grey
first downy plumage
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, near Eltville, Germany, May 2013]
Very young Greylag chick in its yellowish-grey first downy
plumage
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, near Eltville, Germany, May 2013]
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]
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.
German name(s): "Graugans"
Description
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
Click here for a physical description
are welcome.
.