Pink-footed Goose Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A compact, medium-sized goose with a short, thick neck; rounded head; and short, triangular bill.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Mallard and smaller than a Graylag Goose.

  goose-sized or larger

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 23.6-29.5 in (60-75 cm)
    • Weight: 67.0-136.2 oz (1900-3860 g)
    • Wingspan: 53.1-66.9 in (135-170 cm)

  © Frank Lehman / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Pink-footed Geese have a dark brown head, contrasting with both blue-gray upperparts and a buff-pink lower neck and breast. Dark brown flanks contrast with white lower underparts. The bill is mostly dark, with a small pink band near the tip. The legs are pink, although this can be difficult to see. In flight, the wings are pale blue-gray above and dark below.

• Behavior

  Pink-footed Geese typically occur in groups. As chicks grow, family groups come together to form flocks. During the winter, these flocks can number in the thousands, and they’re likely to consist entirely of Pink-footed Geese—this species generally avoids mixed-species flocks.

• Habitat

  Pink-footed Geese nest on arctic tundra or on rocky cliffs, outcrops, or pinnacles. They forage in grasslands and agricultural fields during the winter and seek shelter in coastal estuaries and freshwater lakes and reservoirs.