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Greylag Goose Anser anser [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Anseriformes
Family:
Anatidae
BTO Codes:
GJ , GREGO
EURING No:
1610
Number in Britain:
3200 wild pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK:
AMBER
European:
Not a species of concern
Global:
Least Concern
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Status in UK:
(AC2C4) Introduced/Resident Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies:
anser recorded in Britain (of 2 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
82 cm
Wingspan:
164 cm
Weight:
M: 3.6 kg F: 3 kg
Scientific name from:
L.: anser =a goose
and L.: anser =a goose
World Distribution:
BREEDS: n&c Eurasia, WINTERS: south to n Africa & s Asia
Habitat:
Reedbed, marsh, estuaries & lakes
Diet:
Plant material, incl. roots, tubers, shoots, leaves, both in water and on land
TitBit:
Traditionally eaten at Michaelmas, Mrs Beeton recommends cooking with a glass of port or wine to which has been added a teaspoon of mustard, some salt and a few grains of cayenne pepper
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
Regional Trends:
Distribution:
New Atlas )
British Population Size:
Summer:
3200 wild pairs
in 1997
Winter:
121 thousand individuals
in 1994-99
First Record:
8th Century
[Fossil evidence from
Middle Pleistocene, c. 500,000 yr ago]
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
Most frequent in:
Reedbed
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
Summer:
100 to 145 thousand pairs
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WCA(I,II), WBD(II*,III*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
86 x 58 mm
Egg Weight:
160.0 g (of which 13 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
22
Clutch Size:
5 - 7 eggs
Incubation:
27 - 28 days
by the:
Female
Fledging:
50 - 60 days
as:
Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
Unavailable
Number of Broods:
1
Trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
550
Adult Survival:
0.83
Juvenile Survival:
0.56 (to age 3 )
Age at First Breeding:
3
years
Typical Lifespan:
8
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
18yr8m
(Belgium: 23yr 7m)
Biometrics
Ring Size:
L*
Wing Length
Adult:
448.1 ± 17.6
Range
420 - 477 mm, N =1203
Juvenile:
431.3 ± 15.1
407 - 455 mm, N =857
Male:
458.8 ± 13.7
436 - 481 mm, N =596
Female:
436.3 ± 13.4
415 - 460 mm, N =564
Weight
Adult:
3.34 ± 0.35
Range
2.80 - 3.90 kg , N =1149
Juvenile:
2.92 ± 0.34
2.40 - 3.46 kg , N =820
Male:
3.49 ± 0.31
3.00 - 4.00 kg , N =568
Female:
3.18 ± 0.31 .
2.70 - 3.80 kg , N =539
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Gaelic:
Gèadh-glas
Welsh:
Gwydd Wylla
Danish:
Grågås
Dutch:
Grauwe gans
Finnish:
Merihanhi
French:
Oie cendrée
German:
Graugans
Hungarian:
Nyári lúd
Icelandic:
Grágæs
Irish:
Gé Ghlas
Italian:
Oca selvatica
Norwegian:
Grågås
Polish:
Gegawa (ges gegawa)
Portuguese:
Ganso-comum
Spanish:
Ansar común
Swedish:
Grågås
Collective Noun: Gaggle
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Lorenz, K. 1979 The year of the greylag goose Eyre Methuen, London
[598.483 LOR]
Kempe-Persson, H. 2002 BWP Update 4:181-216
Lorenz, K. 1988 Here am I, where are you: the behavior of the greylag Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York
[591.7 LOR]
See Also:
BirdFacts home | BTO Home birdfacts@bto.org These data should be cited as:
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