Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Barnacle Goose
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Branta leucopsis
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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Body length 60–70 cm
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Black head, neck and upper breast; white face and belly
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Grey back and wings with black-and-white bars
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In flight, a white V-shaped rump patch
About the species
From a distance, the Barnacle Goose looks dark above and pale below, but its face is sharply white against a black head and neck. Black also covers the upper breast, while the belly is white. Silver-grey wings and back carry fine black-and-white bars, and a white patch at the rump shows when it flies.
At breeding sites, adults place nests high on cliffs, away from the wetlands where they feed. Soon after hatching, downy goslings leap from the cliffs and follow their parents toward feeding areas. Their small size and soft down cushion the fall, though many are injured or killed.
They breed in the Arctic, including Greenland, Svalbard, and the Russian Arctic, and use nearby lakes, rivers, and grassy wetlands as feeding grounds. In winter, different populations move to coasts around the North Atlantic, from Scotland and Ireland to the Solway Firth and the Wadden Sea, before returning north to breed.
Where to find
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In winter, scan wetlands in the coastal lowlands of Friesland and around the Dutch Delta for feeding flocks of Barnacle Geese.
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During spring migration in western Estonia, look for large flocks pausing for a long rest.
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At Arctic breeding grounds near rocky streams and lakes, watch adults lead downy goslings to wetland feeding areas.
