Barnacle Goose - Five Sisters Zoo

A smaller goose, the Barnacle Goose is black and cream with grey banding across the body, a black neck and head, and a black beak. They migrate in the winter from Greenland and Svalbard to the northern UK in flocks that fly in a line rather than a v-shape.

Facts

Diet: Herbivore; grasses, seeds, weeds, and other plants.

Weight: 1-2kg

Length: 58-68cm

Wingspan: 130-145cm

Habitat: Greenland and Svalbard, east to portions of Siberia; wetlands and freshwater areas, some saltmarsh.

Life Span: 14 years

Adapted to Survive

Nests are built on cliffs to avoid predators, so hatchlings will fall from the cliff in order to travel with parents shortly after their birth. Their bones are soft at this age and do not harden until later so they can survive the initial fall.

Threats

Climate change; habitat loss and degradation

IUCN Conservation Status

Least Concern

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