Scientific Name:
Anser erythropus
Distribution
Arctic Eurasia from Norway to E Siberia. Winters from C & SE Europe E to Iran and in C China, Korea and Japan.
Diet:
Vegetarian - green parts of grasses, plants and small bushes.
Facts
Habitat: breeds in scrub-covered and lightly wooded tundra and mountain lakes. Winters in salt steppes, salt marshes, farmlands.
Incubation: 25-28 days / 4-6 eggs
Social structure: groups of 5-50 pairs, occasionally up to 150 pairs.
Weight: male max 2,3kg, female max 2,1kg
Dimensions: max 66cm wing span: max 135cm
Lifespan: max 25 under human care
Estimated population in the wild: 16,000-27,000
Threats: Hunting, disturbance by humans, habitat destruction.
IUCN status: Vulnerable
Did you know that:
- It is the rarest goose species in Europe. Since the 1940 its population has declined by 90％!
- In the S. Balkans it winters mainly in Greece where we can find it mostly in the Evros delta and Kerkini and Mitrιkou lakes in groups that do not exceed 45-50 individuals.