Naturalised geese in Europe

Abstract

Besides elucidating which populations that ought to be counted as naturalised basic data of 69 national populations of naturalised Anser and Branta geese in Europe, and some local populations as well, were given. These populations, representing 15 different taxa, varied widely in size, from one pair to 35,000 pairs. Taking into account that recent population estimates are lacking for about one third of the national populations, at the same time as several populations have been in a phase of rapid growth since the late 1990s, it is no exaggeration to state that the total European post-breeding population of naturalised geese in 2009 numbered more than 800,000 individuals. More than 99% of these were made up of the three species Greater Canada Goose, Greylag Goose and Barnacle Goose.