2004. Hearn, C. Mitchell, A.Þ. Stroud, I. Woodward & S.R. showing that some Icelandic birds still winter south of this arbitrary line.The monitoring of annual breeding success for the Iceland Greylag in Britain is also becoming more difficult because of the overlap in the main wintering areas with British Greylag Geese and it is impossible to separate birds from each population in the field. comm.) The Greenland White-fronted Goose is the species on the BirdWatch Ireland logo. The brood size of 24 families was also determined during this period.The percentage of young found amongst flocks (22.6%) was higher than the previous year (19.9% in 2017) (Figure 2) and higher than the recent ten-year mean (2008–2017: 21.9% ± 0.51 SE). Consequent increases have been most marked on Orkney, where winter numbers have increased from The Iceland Greylag Goose population is monitored through the Icelandic-breeding Goose Census; an international census undertaken in Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and the Faeroe Islands. & C. Holt. Counts in Norway took place in January rather than November, but the total from these counts was used as an estimated count for the November period since guidance from counters in Norway suggests that the winter influx of Iceland migrants occurs in late October and early November and they remain there throughout the winter (A Follestad pers. Much of this work is focussed on questions about the status of Greylags in certain parts of Scotland and Ireland, where there is increasing overlap in winter range between British Greylag Geese and Icelandic birds, making monitoring more difficult.Sightings of marked birds are still sought from birdwatchers. Scarce winter visitor to wetlands in Wexford and western Ireland from October to April.Medium-sized grey goose, with orange legs, a long orange-yellow bill with a prominent blaze around the base of the bill (adults).High-pitched, musical in quality (not nasal). The census is undertaken annually and involves coordinated counts carried out in autumn and early winter.Results from the census are presented in various reports which can be downloaded from the The annual breeding success of the Iceland Greylag Goose population is monitored through age assessments that are undertaken annually throughout the autumn and early winter. There is, however, some overlap between these populations during the winter, notably in Orkney and Caithness. and will hopefully provide useful information on the winter movements of summering Greylag Geese in the country.As previously reported, large numbers of British Greylag Geese in core wintering areas for the Iceland populations, such as Orkney and the Moray Firth, mean that assessing the abundance of the Icelandic geese remains very difficult. See below some of the details about our Goose and Swan species that have arrived in Ireland in recent weeks: The second case of bird flu this year in Northern Ireland has been confirmed.. obs.) Usually disyllabic.Grazes on a range of plant material taking roots, tubers, shoots and leaves. Wotton. ).The total count was 92,509 Greylag Geese (Table 1). Therefore, in total, 18,500 birds were deducted from the overall Orkney total to give the best possible estimate of the number of Iceland Greylag Geese. Traditionally occurred in peatland areas, though now mostly seen feeding on intensively managed grasslandsNational Parks and Wildlife Service/ Greenland White-fronted Goose Study Group.Winter visitor with very localised distribution, occurring mostly (up to 9,000 birds) at the Wexford Slobs, with smaller numbers (usually low hundreds) elsewhere. The Iceland Greylag Goose population is monitored through the Icelandic-breeding Goose … However, the results from summer counts (carried out in 2016), suggest that the majority of birds found in Caithness in winter are from Iceland (C. Mitchell pers. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, the total number of birds (3,813) was deducted from the overall total. This population breeds in lowland areas of Iceland. The three living genera of true geese are: Anser, grey geese, such as the greylag goose and domestic geese; Chen, white geese (sometimes included in Anser), such as the snow goose; and Branta, black geese, such as the Canada goose. This provided the first understanding of how Iceland Greylags moved around the wintering grounds. If you haven't noticed the dearth of swifts and swallows around the country recently, then this weeks weather will have put it beyond doubt that the summer is indeed over! The mean brood size of 2.08 goslings per successful pair was lower than that of the recent ten-year mean (2008–2017: 2.25 ± 0.08 SE).The population estimate of 58,426 Iceland Greylag Geese, although lower is not too dissimilar to that in 2017. Each autumn, birds migrate to spend the winter almost exclusively in Britain. Swann, R.L., I.K. Hearn, C. Mitchell & A. Sigfússon. comm. If you see a colour marked bird, please submit your sighting to Frederiksen, M., R.D. A small number of birds also winter in Ireland and the Faeroe Islands, and others have recently been identified in southern Norway.Arrival in Britain begins in early autumn, particularly in north and east Scotland. The wings also lack the large bluey-grey patches of the Greylag Goose. Forages over peat bogs, dune grassland, and occasionally salt marsh, with the use of agricultural grassland increasing in recent years.Breeds on lowland tundra, often by lakes and rivers. Frost, T., G.E. comm.) Likewise, information on the status of birds in the Faroes is limited and, as a result, the total number of birds (1,000) was deducted from the overall total.