Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchus
Relatively small and short-necked goose with contrasting dark brown head and neck, small black bill with pink band near tip, and pink legs. In flight shows extensively pale silvery upperwings. Breeds in Greenland, Iceland, and Spitsbergen; winters mainly in coastal lowlands with farmland and marshy grassland. In main areas, occurs in flocks of hundreds or even thousands; elsewhere, singles or family groups can be found among flocks of other geese. Rare but increasing winter visitor to northeastern North America, almost always with flocks of Canada Geese.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Anser brachyrhynchus
- Authority
- Baillon, 1834
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Anser
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PAL : Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard
- Non-breeding range
- nw Europe
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Nesting is often on cliffs close to glaciers to provide protection from mammalian predators (mainly Arctic fox), also on islets in lakes. Three to six eggs are laid in early to mid-May in Iceland, late May in Svalbard, with incubation lasting 26–27 days. On hatching, the goslings accompany the parents on foot to the nearest lake, where they fledge after about 56 days. Southbound migration is from mid-September to early October, and northbound from mid-April to early May.<p>The diet is almost entirely vegetarian. In summer, they feed on a wide range of tundra plants, both on land and in water. In winter, they graze primarily on oilseed rape, sugar beet, potato, and various grasses; damage to crops can be extensive, though their grazing can also benefit particularly sugar beet and potato farmers by gleaning leaves and roots left behind after the crop is harvested, reducing the transmission of crop diseases from one year to the next.
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Bismarck Crow
Corvus insularis
A medium-sized entirely black crow with a large, often pale-tipped bill and a pale bluish eye. Common in most open forest and forest-edge habitats. Often seen around towns. Voice consists of short, nasal cawing notes.
White-eyed Tody-Tyrant
Hemitriccus zosterops
Small, nondescript flycatcher of lowland forest. Generally green above and pale yellow below; whitish eye color is often not visible under field conditions. Best identified by call, as it is usually heard before being seen. Sits still in mid-story of tall forest, darting up to foliage for insects; does not typically follow mixed-species flocks. Similar to various pygmy-tyrants in general appearance and behavior but lacks crest and has different vocalizations. Song a series of 3–10 sharp notes on one pitch or slightly descending, frog- or insect-like in quality, with some geographic variation.
Fiscal Flycatcher
Sigelus silens
A large pied flycatcher that is most commonly mistaken for Southern Fiscal. However, the upright stance and slender unhooked bill are distinctive flycatcher traits, and the pattern of white in the flight feathers and basal windows of the tail is diagnostic. The female is duller than the male. Singles and pairs frequent a variety of open country habitats, including gardens, parks, shrubland, and woodland, where they perch conspicuously and hawk insect prey from the ground or aerially. The species is mostly silent but occasionally it utters a thin high-pitched song. The similar Southern Fiscal is more robust than the Fiscal Flycatcher, with a chunky hook-tipped bill, a white V-pattern on the shoulders, and a long tail with white outer feathers.
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