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Greylag goose Anser anser

This is the largest goose, and is very present in winter on the lake’s inland shores.

All about Greylag goose

Features & Description

The Greylag Goose, from its Latin name Anser anser, is a rather massive palmiped with a wingspan of 1.70 meters.

The overall plumage is gray-brown with white highlights on top, and lighter gray with black speckles on the underside. The belly and underside of the tail are white. The short upper tail is white and gray.

The thick, light-orange beak has a distinctive shape, with a whitish tab at the tip. Finally, the webbed feet are pink.

Habitat (Biotope)

The Greylag Goose inhabits a variety of environments, especially wetlands: shallow reed-bed ponds, marshes, lake islets, coastlines (even in brackish water), moors, etc. In winter, it is very present on the lake, forming fairly dense groups and often flying in the morning and evening.

In winter, they are very present on the lake, forming fairly dense groups and often flying in the morning and evening.

Behavior & habits

The Greylag Goose is equally active day and night. Moving slowly, it nods as it walks over grassy and muddy areas, taking advantage of the opportunity to graze on soft grasses.

In flight, it can form the V patterns characteristic of migratory birds. Like most ducks, it wags its tail from time to time. In groups, numbers can sometimes reach several thousand.

Reproduction and immature

The Greylag Goose builds a ground nest of small branches and twigs, lined with down.

She lays between 4 and 9 eggs, which she incubates for around 30 days.

The goslings leave the nest as soon as they can to join their parents in the safety of the water. They will make the winter migration in their first year.

Cry or Voice

The Greylag Goose’s calls are sonorous, nasal and harsh. The most characteristic is the trisyllabic call, with a high-pitched first sound (in falsetto) that is prolonged and more accented than the following syllables: “kyiaa-ga-ga”. Often also a hoarse, low-pitched “ank-ang-ang” call, reminiscent of certain domestic goose calls.

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