Barnacle Goose

White-cheeked Goose – Branta leucopsis – Barnacle goose – barnacle husa

The “barnacle goose” or “white-cheeked goose” lives in swamps and wetlands and used to breed only on the Russian Arctic coast. Since the end of the last century, it has also settled in the Baltic Sea region and is now one of the breeding birds of Central Europe. It is our guest mainly in winter. They mostly live in small groups. Only when they gather for migration do they form enormous flocks of up to 50,000 birds, which then travel up to 4,000 kilometres. Barnacle geese are very vocal. They are easily recognized by their white head and belly, the steel-grey, stiped upper side and the black neck.