# Pink-footed Goose (*Anser brachyrhynchus*) The Pink-footed Goose is a lovely bird with pink feet and a soft gray body. They often travel in groups and can be seen flying in a V-shape across the sky. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Pink-footed Goose](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/2019-03-25_Anser_brachyrhynchus%252C_Killingworth_Lake%252C_Northumberland_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: MPF, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2019-03-25_Anser_brachyrhynchus%252C_Killingworth_Lake%252C_Northumberland_1.jpg) ## Appearance The Pink-footed Goose is a medium-sized goose with a dark grey body, a darker head and neck, and striking pink legs and feet. Its short, triangular bill is black with a distinctive pink band, which helps distinguish it from other geese. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Anser ## Interesting facts - Some fly 3,000 km non-stop from Iceland to Scotland during migration! - Tens of thousands of these geese gather in enormous flocks each winter! - Their population has quadrupled since the 1960s, a huge success story for conservation! - They love munching on leftover potatoes and sugar beet tops in winter fields! ## Special abilities - **Sky Navigator:** Pink-footed Geese can fly thousands of kilometres because of their strong wings and endurance, helping them reach wintering grounds. - **Flock Power:** Pink-footed Geese have strong social bonds that help them form huge flocks, providing safety in numbers from predators. - **Vocal Communicator:** Pink-footed Geese can produce loud, distinct calls that help them communicate across vast distances within their large flocks. - **Field Forager:** Pink-footed Geese have specialized beaks and digestive systems that help them efficiently graze on tough plant material. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 60-75 cm - **Wingspan:** 135-170 cm - **Weight:** 2-3.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 80 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-6 - **Incubation:** 25-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding These geese primarily eat plants, enjoying grasses, roots, and leftover crops from farmers' fields. - **Primary Foods:** Grasses, Roots, Leaves, Potatoes, Sugar beet tops, Cereal grains - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Arctic Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/arctic-fox) (*Vulpes lagopus*) — Preys on eggs and goslings in breeding grounds. - **Eats:** [White-tailed Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-eagle) (*Haliaeetus albicilla*) — Hunts weakened or young geese in coastal areas. - **Eats:** Gyrfalcon (*Falco rusticolus*) — A top predator of geese in their Arctic breeding range. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Threatened](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/threatened): Threatened status denotes a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future without effective conservation interventions. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pink-footed Goose? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Pink-footed Goose? 60-75 cm ### What is Pink-footed Goose's wingspan? 135-170 cm ### How much does Pink-footed Goose weigh? 2-3.5 kg ### How long does Pink-footed Goose live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Pink-footed Goose move? 80 km/h ### What does Pink-footed Goose eat? These geese primarily eat plants, enjoying grasses, roots, and leftover crops from farmers' fields. ### Where is Pink-footed Goose usually found? Wetlands ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Pink-footed Goose: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pink-footed-goose)