No.048 · Birds · Uncommon
Pink-footed goose
Anser brachyrhynchus
Wave upon wave of goose calls at dawn and dusk. These geese breed in Iceland and Greenland and winter in Britain; the big flocks are on the Norfolk coast, and only skeins pass over the Broads.
When to see a pink-footed goose
October to February, mostly at dawn and dusk.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Time of day
- Dawn
- Day
- Dusk
- Night
Where to see a pink-footed goose in the UK
- The Norfolk Broads. Skeins pass over the marshes at dawn and dusk in winter, flying between coastal roosts and inland feeding fields. The big flocks are on the north Norfolk coast, so sightings here are occasional.
Pink-footed goose facts at a glance
- Best time
- Dawn and dusk flights, October–February.
- Where in the game
- the Norfolk Broads (grazing marsh and broad)
- Size
- Length 61–76 cm (Wildlife Trusts)
- Wingspan
- About 1.5 m (Wildlife Trusts)
- Weight
- About 2.8 kg (BTO)
- Lifespan
- Oldest ringed bird 38 years 7 months (BTO)
- Population
- About 510,000 wintering (BTO, 2015–16)
- Status
- Amber (Birds of Conservation Concern 5, 2021)
Diet
Grass, cereals, root crops and discarded sugar beet tops
Habitat
Wetlands, estuaries, farmland
Breeding
Breeds in Iceland and eastern Greenland, not normally in Britain.
Field signs
- Pink legs and feet
- Flocks in V or lines
- Wink-wink call
Did you know?
- Pink-feet arrive from Iceland and Greenland in autumn and leave in spring (RSPB).
- 'Whiffling' is the dramatic tumbling descent geese make to land (RSPB).
- Winter numbers rose 96% between 1998 and 2023 (BTO).
Moments worth waiting for
- Dawn flight-out
A long, calling skein of pink-feet streams high over the marsh at first light, heading inland to feed. - Whiffling
Geese tip and tumble from height as they drop towards the fields.
Photo tip
Stand under the flight line at dawn with a wide lens; use high ISO.
Be a good naturalist
Do not flush feeding flocks; keep off the fields where they feed and stay at the roadside or a viewpoint.
The law
Not on Schedule 1. Protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 but a legal quarry species (Schedule 2): it can be shot in the open season, not in the close season.
