Greylag Goose

Greylag Goose (Anser anser) is a migratory species spread all over Europe and northern Asia, which winters in the south. They arrive in northern India towards November/December and stay on till March when they fly back to their resident countries. 

These large and bulky birds can be identified easily by its pink bill and legs, with a greyish-brown plumage. Males are generally larger than the females, and can weight about 3 kg. These were earlier known as “wild goose”. The “lag” in the name comes from the fact that these birds are among the last to migrate.

The numbers of these birds are increasing over the range of its habitat, and hence categorized under “Least Concern” with a global estimate of about 1,000,000 or more.  These breed in April/May in temperate countries in loose congregations and undergo a non-flight moulting period lasting a month or so. The Greylag Goose is usually found in large flocks and feed during mornings and evenings. It roosts at night and the middle of the day in and around water bodies, and may fly up to 10 km for feeding. The birds are herbivorous, feeding on grass, seeds, shoots, stems and fruits found in marshy environs.

These birds are hunted for its flesh, and they have been domesticated in many countries for hundreds of years. They are also threatened by growing habitat loss due to conversion of wetlands into fields. Farmers dislike these birds for the destruction of crops. These birds are also susceptible to avian influenza, and could be carriers of the virus across its migration path.

An interesting aspect of these birds, discovered by the well-known behavioral scientist Konrad Lorenz, is that Greylag chicks would regard as parents whatever they laid their eyes on first after hatching!

 All these images of the Greylag Goose has been photographed by me in Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur in Rajasthan, India, except the picture with the birds in flight which was photographed over Basai wetlands in Gurgaon near Delhi, India.