By Saul Vargas
Geographic Range
During the summer the Graylag Geese, Anser anser, live in Scotland, Iceland; Scandinavia and Eastward to Russia, as well as Poland and Germany. The Iceland birds migrate in autumn to the British Isles, and usually arrive in October. The Netherlands, Spain, France, eastern Mediterranean, and North Africa are places in which the rest of the European population spends winter. (Soothill & Whiteherd, 1996)
Biogeographic Regions:
palearctic 
(native ).
Habitat
During the breeding season Greylag geese live in lowland marshes and fens that have a lot of vegetation, as well as offshore islands. Outside of the breeding season they spend time in fresh-and salt-water marshes, estuaries, stubble fields, pasture lands, and potato fields. (Soothill & Whiteherd, 1996)
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
temperate ; terrestrial .
Terrestrial Biomes:
tundra .
Other:
agricultural ; riparian ; estuarine .
Physical Description
(76.03 to 160.51 oz)
(29.92 to 35.04 in; avg. 31.5 in)
(57.87 to 70.87 in; avg. 64.17 in)
Greylag goose plumage is grayish-brown, with pale margins on feathers in the upper part. In the lower part it has a white belly, and grayish shading on the lower breast. Similar to all of this is the neck and the head. It has an orange, large bill. The feet and legs are flesh tissue colored, and in most adults there is spotting and blotching in most adults. Young birds do not have this characteristic, and have grayish legs. On average the length of a mature bird is 80 cm (31 inches). The mass of the birds tends to be in the range of 2500 to 4100 g. The average weight of males is 36 g (1.3 oz) and for females is 32 g (1 oz). Wingspan reaches 76 to 89 cm. (Soothill & Whiteherd, 1996; Dunning, 1993)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Reproduction
Spring
In Iceland, the breeding season starts in early May, and in Scotland it begins in late April. In middle Europe the breeding season starts a bit earlier. The nests are built among reeds and bushes. They are also build in high and elevated places, as well as marshy regions, and small isles to keep eggs and goslings safe from predators.
The number of eggs varies from three to twelve, but is usually only four to six. The eggs are creamy white, and about 85 x 58mm (3.3 to 2.3 inches) in size. The eggs are incubated only by the female, and take 27 to 28 days to hatch. After hatching, the goslings usually wait until drying out to leave the nest. With the supervision of their parents the young birds feed themselves, and in about eight weeks they are fully independent.
Geese take from 2 to 3 years to reach sexual maturity but usually mature at 3 years. (Soothill & Whiteherd, 1996; del Hoyo et al., 1992)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous .
Lifespan/Longevity
Most Greylag geese live until they are twenty years old. (Lorenz, 1991)
Behavior
Sociable by nature, the Greylag geese occur in different size groups, from small families to flocks that go up to the thousands. They usually fly in v-patterns when traveling long distances. They are able to run rapidly in land, and move without difficulty to avoid predators. (Soothill & Whiteherd 1996)
Food Habits
Food include grasses, rhizomes of marsh plants, and roots, and some small aquatic animals. They also eat spilled grain in stubbles, and different kinds of root crops, as well as turnips, carrots, and potatoes. (Soothill & Whiteherd, 1996)
Animal Foods:
amphibians; fish; insects; mollusks; aquatic crustaceans.
Plant Foods:
leaves; roots and tubers; seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit; algae.
Predation
- golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos)
- common ravens (Corvus corax)
- hawks (Accipitridae)
- domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)
- red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
- Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus)
For Greylag geese, threats from the air include golden eagles, ravens, and hawks, and on the ground, prowling dogs, foxes, and humans. (Lorenz 1991)
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Farming has been affected due to overpopulation. Greylag geese flocks have been known to harm potato and carrot fields in different parts of Europe. (Schneck, 1999)
Ways that these animals might be a problem for humans:
crop pest.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Thousands of years ago Greylag geese were domesticated and used for many purposes. One of the purposes of raising geese is because of the meat, which is very rich in flavor . The down (soft feathers) of the birds has also been very useful for many commodities such as stuffing in pillows, as a lightweight, mattresses, outdoor clothing sleeping bags, and insulating material. (Austic, 2001)
Ways that people benefit from these animals:
food .
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Least Concern.
US Migratory Bird Act: [link]:
No special status.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
Greylag Geese once were very common in Western Europe, but due to the draining of marshes there has been a severe drop in numbers. Currently, this species has increased in numbers up to a point of reaching flocks of tens of thousands. (Schneck 1999)
Other Comments
An interesting fact about Greylag geese is that they were once considered sacred by the Romans after reportedly saving the city of Rome in 390 BC. When the Gauls tried to climb in, the geese warned the Romans with their loud calls about the attempted invasion. After this, Caesar believed that the geese were sacred and it was ordered that the geese were to not be eaten in Pre-Roman Britain. (Schneck 1999)
Contributors
Saul Vargas (author), Fresno City College.
Carl Johansson (editor), Fresno City College.
