Goose

Description

This is the largest of the European geese. They are generally grey, with the feathers on the back spotted in cream. The sides are darker and have white stripes. The tail is white, with a dark band on the top. They are quite robust in appearance and the only difference between males and females is that the males are larger. The short and strong legs have a pink tone, whilst the beak is orange. 

Behaviour

During mating season, the female builds a nest on the ground with stalks and canes covered with lichen, grass and large feathers. They lay 4-6 elongated, creamy white eggs with tints of yellow or brown. The female takes care of the incubation, lasting 27-28 days, whilst the male keeps watch and protects the nest from possible predators. 

Interesting facts

They are gregarious especially in the winter, when they meet in large and loud gaggles both to sleep and feed. Despite this, there is a clear separation of small family groups, as the pairs will remain together even outside the mating season and are accompanied by the offspring during each season. The main threats to this species are the fragmentation of the habitat where they live, illegal hunting and lead poisoning.