Greylag Goose

The Greylag Goose is a large, bulky gray-brown goose and the wild ancestor of most breeds of domestic geese. It has a heavy, pale orange bill, pink legs, and an overall grayish-brown plumage with paler feather edges creating a subtly barred look on the back and flanks, along with a pale gray forewing visible in flight.

Widespread across Europe and Asia, the Greylag Goose is a familiar bird of wetlands and farmland, and feral or semi-domestic populations descended from farmyard geese are common in parks and urban waterways in many regions.

Key field marks

• Large, bulky body with a heavy, pale orange to pinkish bill and pink legs
• Overall gray-brown plumage with pale feather fringes giving a subtly scalloped look
• Pale bluish-gray forewing patch, conspicuous in flight

Similar species

The Greater White-fronted Goose is smaller with a white face patch and belly barring, and a more slender pink bill. The Bar-headed Goose is paler overall with a distinctive black-and-white head pattern. Domestic geese derived from Greylag stock can show white or pied plumage, unlike wild birds.

Greylag Geese breed across a broad swath of Europe and Asia, using freshwater marshes, lakes, and wetlands adjacent to farmland and grassland. Many populations are migratory, moving to milder wintering areas farther south or west, though numerous resident and feral populations, especially descended from domestic stock, remain year-round in parks, farmland, and wetlands across much of their range.

Behavior

Greylag Geese are highly social, forming large flocks outside the breeding season, and graze extensively on land; pairs form strong, long-term bonds.

Voice

Gives loud, deep, cackling honks, the ancestral call behind the familiar 'honking' of farmyard geese.

Feeding

Grasses, grains, roots, and other plant material, obtained mainly by grazing on land as well as some aquatic foraging.

Nesting

Nests on the ground, usually well concealed near water; clutches typically hold 4-6 eggs, and both parents help guard the goslings.