Greylag goose

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The greylag goose is a large goose with a body-weight in males of about 3.5 to 3.8 kg, in females about 2.7 to 3.1 kg.

Nests may be fairly concentrated. The female lays 5-6 white eggs and incubates them for 28-29 days.

Greylag geese consume a wide variety of food, mainly plant material they forage on land, such as grass, roots, leaves, stems, seed-heads, and sprouts of different plants, in winter complemented with agricultural crops.

Did you know?
that the greylag goose has been domesticated in Europe about 3,500 years ago? Today, the global population of domestic geese counts 220 million birds. Depending of the breed they may reach a body-weight of up to 12 kgs.

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	ANSERIFORMES
Suborder	ANSERES
Family	ANATIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Anser anser
Name (English)	Greylag goose
Name (French)	Oie cendrée
Name (German)	Graugans
Name (Spanish)	Ansar común
Local names	Czech: Husa velká Dutch: Grauwe gans Estonian: Hallhani, Roohani Finnish: Merihanhi Greek: Stachtóchina Hungarian: Nyári lud Italian: Oca selvatica Polish: Gegawa Portugiese: Ganso-comum Romansh: Uca grischa Swedish: Grågås
CITES Status	Not listed
CMS Status	Appendix II (as Anatidae spp.) Included in AEWA

Photo Copyright by
Matthias Zepper

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Anser a. anser: Breeding range is Europe east to the Caucasus, winters in Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Anser a. rubirostris Breeding range is central and eastern Russia, Mongolia and Northern China, winters in the Near and Middle East, and Indochina.
Habitat	During the breeding season greylag geese live in lowland wetlands or offshore islands. Outside of the breeding season they spend time in fresh-and salt-water marshes, estuaries, pastures and cultivated fields.
Wild population	Global population estimated to be between 920,000 and970,000 individuals by Wetlands International (2002).
Zoo population	551 reported to ISIS (2006)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 17 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Karrackoo

Why do zoos keep this animal

The greylag goose is not threatened in the wild, and zoos keep it primarily for educational reasons, because it is the ancestor of the domestic goose. Outside the breeding season, greylag geese may be kept in walk-thru exhibits allowing for close encounters and are thus a good ambassador species for wetland conservation.

How this animal should be kept

Unless a lot of space is available allowing the birds to disperse, pairs should be separated during the breeding season in an enclosure or aviary with a land surface of 100 to 200 m² and a water surface of 10 to 50 m². For the rest of the year, the geese may be kept in larger social groups. If kept in multispecies waterfowl exhibits, the species should be selected in a way to avoid hybridisation. Note that WAZA has adopted the policy of outphasing pinioning, and that several countries prohibit the use of surgical methods for flight restraint. Free flight is possible but should occur only within the natural range of the respective subspecies.

Greylag geese need access to grass for food. Supplementary feeding , in the form of pellets can be a substitute in the winter months, when grass levels are low. All food stored must be kept in a dry condition. If it becomes damp it should not be used. It is important that the food fed is fresh. If food is fed into water, only as much as will be readily eaten should be given. All feed containers in pens should be cleaned regularly. Grit should be available on a regular basis, and additional limestone grit should be fed on available annually, just prior to the egg-laying season.