General

Pink-footed Goose: Short-necked goose with blue gray mantle and wing coverts, white belly, dark brown head and neck. Pale feather tips produce barring on flanks and upperparts. Pink legs, feet and bill with a brown tip. Females are similar, juveniles are dark brown with a scaly appearance on sides, flanks and back.

Range and Habitat

Pink-footed Goose: Breeds in eastern Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. It is migratory, wintering in northwest Europe, especially Great Britain, the Netherlands, and western Denmark. Rare accidental to Newfoundland and northern Atlantic Coast. Found in open tundra and rocky country, outcrops and crags.

Breeding and Nesting

Pink-footed Goose: Three to five creamy white eggs, incubated for 26 to 27 days by the female in a shallow scrape on the ground lined with moss and down.

Foraging and Feeding

Pink-footed Goose: Eats grass and aquatic vegetation in summer. Feeds on grains, grasses, and potatoes in winter.

Vocalization

Pink-footed Goose: Utters a harsh musical honking sound.

Similar Species

Pink-footed Goose: Greater White-fronted Goose has larger pink to orange bill, orange legs and white patch at base of bill.