Barnacle goose

Latin Branta leucopsis
Estonian Valgepõsk-lagle

Also known as: no known names

Status in Estonia

Breeding and migratory bird.

Description

The barnacle goose is a stocky waterfowl with a short, thick neck, rounded head and small black beak. The neck and breast are black, while the head is mostly white, with a silver-white underside and grey top side with black and white stripes. The best way to tell it apart from the brant is the stark contrast between the black breast and whitish belly; slightly lighter wing coverts are also a good identifier. The wings are slightly longer than the brant and the wing beats slower. The flock’s form generally resembles an uneven U. The juvenile is remarkably similar to the adult bird, with the main differences being less pronounced side stripes and a less deep black neck and breast.

Size

Body length 58–70 cm, wingspan 120–142 cm, body mass 1.8–2 kg.

Similar species

Canada goose, brant, greater white-fronted goose, lesser white-fronted goose.

Distribution

The barnacle goose’s former nesting grounds included East Greenland, Spitsbergen and the Barents Sea islands and coastal areas. Over the last fifty years, the breeding region has grown to include the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and the Baltic Sea countries. The wintering area includes the north coast of Ireland, the west coast of Scotland, the northwest coast of England, the entire Netherlands, and the west coasts of Denmark and Germany. Barnacle geese nesting in Greenland migrate to Ireland and Scotland for the winter; birds nesting in Spitsbergen migrate to Scotland and the northwest coast of England. The birds of the Barents Sea and Baltic Sea population winter in the Netherlands and West Germany and, in severe winters, on the northern coast of France. The species has been breeding in Estonia since 1981. Barnacle geese that breed here spend the winter in the Netherlands and along Germany’s west coast.

Population

Estonia has 80–100 breeding pairs.

Occurrence in Estonia

It arrives in Estonia in March/April and departs in October. In recent decades, the last of the barnacle geese have been spotted as late as December.

Diet

It is mostly herbivorous. Its diet has a variety of green plants, grass and seeds as well as small crustaceans and the like.

Habitat

Barnacle geese breed primarily on small grassy islands (up to 20 ha) in Estonia, where bushes and a few trees grow.

Nesting

Nests are frequently found in the shadow of a juniper bush or within a juniper patch. On islands without bushes, they nest in open grass. Rarely, individual barnacle geese have nested on the rocky Vaika islands. The nest is relatively small. The nest hole is heavily lined with down feathers from the mother bird and a few grass straws. The barnacle goose prefers to breed colonially. At the beginning of June, the female bird lays 3–6 slightly shiny eggs, which she incubates for 24–26 days. During this period, the male bird serves as a guard. Typically, once the chicks hatch, many families join together and live as a single family until they migrate in flocks in August and September.

Conservation status and protection

It belongs to the protected species of category III. The main dangers are increased disturbance during the breeding season, barnacle geese and their young being hunted by foxes, big gulls and crows and adult birds being hunted by white-tailed eagles.

Distribution and population in Lääne County.

At Matsalu Bay, the barnacle goose is one of the most common migratory birds in April to mid-May and September to October. Over 100,000 barnacle geese stop in Matsalu each spring.

The beach meadows of Haeska, Keemu and Põgari-Sassi host the greatest flocks of barnacle geese. Thousands of barnacle geese also stop at the Saunja and Tahu bays in the Silma Nature Reserve.