Greylag Goose (gobirding.eu)

Greylag Goose Anser anser

Although wild Greylag Geese do occur in Norfolk occasionally, all of the following photos are assumed to relate to feral individuals. Having said that, some birds wintering in the county recently would probably also have been assumed to be feral were it not for the fact that they were supporting neck collars identifying them as birds bred in Orkney.





Greylag Geese, Strumpshaw Fen (Norfolk, UK), 4th April 2009

pair of Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 29th March 2009

Greylag Goose, Cley (Norfolk, UK), 7th November 2003	Greylag Goose, Coxford (Norfolk, UK), 15th March 2004

Greylag Goose, Coxford (Norfolk, UK), 18th March 2005	Greylag Goose, Hickling NWT (Norfolk, UK), 24th April 2004

pair of Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 11th March 2007

Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 16th August 2008 - two orange-legged individuals

Greylag Goose, Sparham Pools (Norfolk, UK), 7th April 2007	Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 16th August 2008 - note variation in leg colour

Greylag Goose gosling, Wroxham Broad (Norfolk, UK), 11th May 2009	Greylag Geese, Martham Broad (Norfolk, UK), 25th April 2009 - the front was one of two with longer and deeper pinkish coloured bills than the other Greylags

Greylag Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 31st March 2007	Greylag Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 25th March 2007

Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 6th May 2007


Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 2nd February 2008


Greylag Goose, Martham Broad (Norfolk, UK), 25th April 2009 - this bird shows a dark tip to the bill and dark along the cutting edge of the mandibles, which is not typical of Greylag Goose. These may be indicators of another species in its ancestry, probably domestic Swan Goose, however this does not appear to be a first-generation hybrid and I am not certain if these features could ever appear on a 100% pure Greylag Goose.


Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 7th March 2009 - note the unusual extent of dark spotting on the vent

Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 26th April 2008	Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 18th May 2008

Greylag Geese, Sparham Pools (Norfolk, UK), 27th April 2008

Greylag Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 17th February 2008

Greylag Goose gosling, Coxford (Norfolk, UK), 8th June 2004	Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 23rd September 2007

Greylag Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 7th March 2009	Greylag Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 29th March 2009

Greylag Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 14th October 2007	Greylag Goose (with Canada Geese), Titchwell (Norfolk, UK), 7th June 2004

Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 27th October 2007

Greylag Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 13th September 2008	Greylag Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 30th December 2007

Greylag Geese, Horsey (Norfolk, UK), 9th May 2009	Greylag Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 27th October 2007

Leucistic Greylag Geese

Individuals showing partially white plumage are generally assumed to be of domestic stock and can often be found among flocks of feral geese. Domestic birds certainly do find there way into feral flocks and will happily breed with feral birds, so this is probably a fair assessment in the majority of cases.

However it is quite feasible that wild or feral Greylag Geese with no domestic ancestry may show these features too - wild Pink-footed Geese are prone to leucism and many show white bands across the underparts with white primaries. Presumably whatever causes wild Pink-feet to show these features could just as easily affect wild or feral Greylags. Domestic birds often give themselves away by having an abnormally large rear end, thicker than usual head/neck or an unusually bright and stout bill, but some domestic birds show none of these structural clues.

The birds shown below may be of domestic origin, for which I have a separate page, but are also included on this page as they may simply be leucistic birds with no domestic ancestry.


Greylag Goose showing white belly patch and white primaries, Coxford (Norfolk, UK), 2nd April 2004	Greylag Goose showing white belly patch and white primaries, Bittering GP (Norfolk, UK), 17th January 2004

leucistic Greylag Goose, Coxford (Norfolk, UK), 2nd April 2004

leucistic Greylag Goose, Holkham Park (Norfolk, UK), 22nd November 2004

leucistic Greylag Goose, Holkham Park (Norfolk, UK), 17th February 2004 (possibly the same bird as shown above)