Barnacle goose

Scientific name: Branta leucopsis

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Distinctive black-and-white head pattern with white face and black cap, neck, and upper body; white belly and undertail coverts. Body length 58–67 cm; smaller and more compact than Canada geese.

Size and weight

Adults typically weigh 1.3–2.0 kg; males average 1.7 kg, females 1.5 kg.

Habitat

Barnacle geese inhabit coastal tundra, grasslands, and rocky shorelines in high northern latitudes. They favour areas with short grass, moss, and access to shallow water bodies.

Distribution

Breeds in Greenland, Svalbard, and Russian Arctic; winters in northwest Europe, primarily the Netherlands, Britain, and Scandinavia. Coastal and lowland grassland preferred outside breeding season.

Diet

Grazes almost exclusively on grasses and low vegetation; also takes sedges, clover, and herbaceous plants in breeding and wintering grounds.

Behaviour

Highly gregarious, forming flocks year-round and moving between feeding areas during dawn and dusk. Diurnal grazers that roost on water or open ground; swift fliers with characteristic loud cackling calls.

Hunting tips

Look for tracks in soft ground near feeding areas and distinctive fibrous droppings on grazing grounds. Approach from downwind along terrain folds or water margins; these birds are wary and alarm easily. Early morning and late evening provide best opportunity when birds move between roost and feeding sites.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 3 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.