Literature review to assess bird species connectivity to Special ...

2.18 Wintering geese
2.18.1 Foraging
Geese are highly mobile and can be expected to regularly forage on any suitable
habitat up to 20km from the roost site (Patterson, 2006).
2.18.2 Nesting
Information on nesting is not pertinent to connectivity with wintering goose qualifying
interests of SPAs in Scotland.
2.18.3 Display flights
Information on display flights is not pertinent to connectivity with wintering goose
qualifying interests of SPAs in Scotland.
2.18.4 Competitive behaviour
Information on competitive behaviour is not pertinent to connectivity with wintering
goose qualifying interests of SPAs in Scotland.
2.19 Greylag goose
2.19.1 Foraging
Foraging range from roost
No specific data have been found for greylag goose. However, similar foraging
distances to those presented for pink-footed goose would be expected.
Foraging habitat
Foraging habitats in winter include croplands, stubble, grasslands, and occasionally
shallow water (Cramp, 1977). Food items are plant material, including roots and
tubers, green leaves and stems, flower heads, and fruits (Cramp, 1977).
2.20 Pink-footed goose
2.20.1 Foraging
Foraging range from roost
A survey was carried out in 2004, on five days in March and three days in April, to
determine the feeding distribution of pink-footed geese coming from the roost at Loch
of Strathbeg, Grampian (Patterson & Thorpe, 2006). From data collected for this
survey, the distance of foraging flocks from the roost location can be measured, and
is summarised in Table 6. The maximum distance travelled to forage from Loch of
Strathbeg was 13.1km. The majority of foraging fields were within 4km in March
2004, and within 5km in April 2004. Summary figures of the location of these
foraging fields are shown in Figures 7 and 11 within Patterson & Thorpe (2006).
A study of foraging locations of pink-footed geese roosting at Cameron Reservoir,
Fife in 2001/2002 determined that foraging is within 20km of the roost site (based on
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