Scientific Name:
Branta ruficolis
Distribution
Siberian tundra. Winters in SE Europe and SW Asia mainly on N & W coasts of Black and Caspian Sea.
Diet:
Vegetarian - leaves, grasses, sedges and aquatic plants, grains, tubers, green sprouts of cereals.
Facts
Habitat: Tundra, grasslands, wetlands
Incubation: 23-25 days / 6-7 eggs
Social structure: loose groups of 5-6 pairs, occasionally up to 37 pairs.
Weight: male max 1.6kg, female max 1.1kg
Dimensions: max 56cm wing span: max 135cm
Lifespan: 21 under human care
Estimated population in the wild: 56,000 individuals
Threats: hunting and habitat destruction
IUCN status: Vulnerable
Did you know that:
- They nest close to some birds of prey species using the as "security" in order to protect their chicks from predators such as the arctic foxes.
- In Greece, the Red breasted goose winters in small number usually in Evros Delta or less often in the wetlands of Thrace Ismarida lake, Nestou Delta etc.