A large goose, with a distinctive black head and neck and large white throat patch. An introduced species from N America, it has successfully spread to cover most of the UK. It forms noisy flocks and is often regarded as a nuisance in areas where large numbers occur on amenity grassland and parks.
Key ID Features:
Large goose with grey-brown back and white under tail, (similar to Greylag Goose), but white breast, black neck, head and bill with white chinstrap are distinctive.
White rump visible in flight.
Overview
Scientific name: Branta canadensis
Family: Swans, ducks and geese (Anatidae)
Where to see them:
A familiar goose seen around lakes, gravel pits and town parks.
Seen in UK:
All year round. In winter, occasional birds of small races are seen with other wild geese species in N Ireland and W Scotland, and may be vagrant wild birds.
What they eat
Vegetation - roots, grass, leaves and seeds.
Text (c) RSPB, used with permission
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Photographer: Tim Tapley
