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Posted: 6th September 2024

Scottish public asked to look for Icelandic greylag geese
The greylag geese population could be up to four-and-a-half times bigger than predicted.
The initiative aims to understand their migration patterns.

NatureScot and the Icelandic Institute of Natural History have collaborated for an initiative to better understand the migration patterns of Icelandic greylag geese.

As part of the project, GPS tracking collars have been attached to greylag geese in Iceland, which are expected to migrate to Scotland this winter.

In both Iceland and Scotland, greylag geese are often shot to limit the damage they do to wildlife, as well as being shot for sport. At several sites, including Orkney, the British population is also controlled to protect crops.

Recent counts have suggested that numbers of Icelandic geese are declining and, as a result, the population is now considered to be at risk.

However, new mathematical modelling has now suggested that the actual population could be much bigger than expected. The information, produced using annual cull data from Iceland, predicts that the population could be up to four-and-a-half times bigger than expected.

To investigate this theory, NatureScot and the Icelandic Institute of Nature History have collaborated to fit 80 GPS collars to greylag geese in Iceland this summer and the next.

The data collected by these collars will give researchers a better understanding of where these birds migrate to in the winter, and whether they are migrating to any new sites. This will ensure that all sites are included in annual population counts in November.

To assist with their investigations, NatureScot is now asking people in Orkney and north-east Scotland to look out for any geese with a GPS collar. If a dead bird is found with a collar, or a member of the public shoots a greylag goose, they should contact NatureScot so it can be retrieved.

Greylag geese with GPS collars will also have leg rings. This leg ring should also be reported to the British Trust of Ornithology.

Alastair Gugan, Naturescot wildlife management manager, said: “We hope that comparing the GPS data and the annual goose counts will help improve our understanding of the size of the population.

“This will feed into the plan that Iceland and the UK are developing to ensure a healthy population and its sustainable use.”

Members of the public should contact NatureScot at NORTH@nature.scot to report a bird with a GPS collar. The leg rings should be reported to the British Trust of Ornithology via this link.

Image © Shutterstock



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