Pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus)

Pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) are a medium size goose (fig. 1).  Adult plumage is dark brown-grey all over with paler underparts. They have pink legs,and  a short and triangular bill (Svensson et al, 2020). Pink-footed geese winter in wetland areas such as estuaries and lochs. Their diet consists of grain, winter cereals, and grasses. Pink-footed geese typically live to 8 years old, breeding at 3 years (BTO, 2023).

Population & Distribution:
There are an estimated 510,000 pink-footed geese that migrate to the UK to winter every year, with this being a 92% increase in the wintering population between 1996/7-2021/22. Pink-footed geese are a common winter visitor and passage migrant to the East Grampian Coast, with small numbers staying over summer in the area too. Loch of Strathbeg hosts the largest coastal population of pink-footed geese in the area (fig 2 & 3), with large numbers also recorded at the Ythan Estuary and Meikle Loch. Smaller numbers of pink-footed geese have been recorded at a number of other coastal sites including Cruden Bay, Peterhead, and the Ugie Estuary. Further inland, Loch of Skene also hosts a significant population of pink-footed geese over winter (SOC North East Scotland Branch, n.d.). 

Conservation Status:
Pink-footed goose are an Amber listed species do to the localisation and importance of the non-breeding population in the UK (Stanbury et al, 2021). Loch of Strathbeg has been designated an SPA, SSSI, and RAMSAR site for various species and habitats including pink-footed goose. The site regularly hosts 25% of the Eastern Greenland/Iceland/UK biogeographic wintering population (NatureScot, 2018).

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