Saving wetlands for wildlife & people
Saving wetlands for wildlife & people
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BackgroundThe Re-established population of Greylag Goose was originally established through a coordinated scheme by wildfowlers to re-introduce birds from the Northwest Scotland population to other parts of Britain. The first introductions took place in the 1930s, when birds were established in Southwest Scotland and East Anglia using eggs collected in the Outer Hebrides. More widespread re-introductions took place in the 1960s, but the releases ceased in the 1970s. The highest concentrations in Britain are currently found in East Anglia, the East Midlands and Southwest Scotland, but large numbers also occur on gravel pits and reservoir complexes along many lowland major river systems. However, the 2000 Naturalised Goose Survey found that most sites that support the species only hold small numbers of birds. Re-established Greylag Geese, as with the other Greylag Goose populations in the UK, have proved to be versatile in adapting to a range of food items found in modern agricultural habitats. The majority of birds feed on agricultural land: using stubble and potato waste in autumn and early winter, then moving on to grass and sprouting cereals in winter and spring. They have been recorded eating turnips, kale, beans, carrots and newly sown grain. Since 1991, two national surveys of naturalised geese have provided information on numbers and distribution of Re-established Greylag Geese in the UK. Counts are conducted annually through the Wetland Bird Survey at estuaries and inland waterbodies. Productivity data collected annually in Scotland and Northern England for UK breeding Greylag Geese will also include birds from the Re-established population.
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Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
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