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page.Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsis
The range of the barnacle goose extends over the north Atlantic from the eastern coast of Greenland and through Spitsbergen to south of Novaya Zemlya. Migration begins in late August or early September, the birds wintering on the coasts of Ireland, England, northern France, Holland, West Germany and Denmark, but individual flocks wander as far as Mediterranean, to the Azores and the eastern coast of North America. Barnacle geese from Spitsbergen migrate across the open sea and down the coast of Scandinavia; Greenland populations fly across Iceland and Novaya Zemlya populations fly across the Baltic Sea. The species nests in coastal colonies and alongside rivers, often near raptors, which protect them from the arctic fox. Arrival at the breeding grounds is in the second half of May. The nest is located as high as 50 metres above the sea, on steep cliffs, often in a colony of guillemots, kittiwakes or other seabirds. The female lays three to five, sometimes as many as seven eggs, usually in the second half of June, incubating them by herself for 24 to 26 days. When they have dried out, the goslings leap from the cliffs into the water. During the nesting season the barnacle goose feeds mainly on coastal vegetation and in winter on grass, aquatic plants, seaweeds and occasionally crustaceans, mollusc and aquatic insects.
Click on any of the other bird links, these are Geese Barnacle Goose : Brent Goose : Canada Goose : Greylag Goose
Or on the Ducks: Gadwall : Goldeneye : Goosander : Mallard : Pintail Pochard : Red Breasted Merganser
Red Crested Pochard : Shellduck : Shoveler : Teal : Tufted Duck : Wigeon
And the rest, in no real order of importance:
Common Sandpiper : Coot. : Corncrake : Curlew. : Dunlin : Greenshank : Lapwing : Moorhen : Oystercatcher : Redshank : Ringed Plover : Snipe : Spotted Crake : Stone Curlew : Turnstone : Whimbrel : Woodcock.
Problems Caused by Certain Sea Birds
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