Lesser White-fronted Goose

Colour-ringed Lesser White-fronted Geese observed in NW-Europe mainly originate from a reinforcement scheme in Sweden. From 1981 onwards, juveniles were released with their foster-parents, Barnacle Geese, to guide them to more safe wintering sites in the North Sea area. The reason for the Swedish reinforcement project was the long-term steady decline and the contraction of the breeding range of the species.

From the juvenile birds released after 1981, 250 were equipped with colour-rings. The last of these birds was reported in 2013/14 (081), and observed in the traditional wintering site at Oudeland van Strijen in The Netherlands. From 2010 onwards, birds have been ringed with a colourring with inscription on one leg and a metal ring or a combination of a plain colour ring and a metal ring on the other leg.

Lesser Whitefronts carrying combinations of plain colorings on one leg are to be reported to the Norwegian project at tomas@birdlife.no 

Lesser Whitefronts carrying neck bands with colors red, green, black or yellow to the Bird Ringing Centre, Moscow, Russia: bird.ring.rus@gmail.com 

White- Yellow (WA  Y)

Sweden 2013
 

White - Yellow (W1  Y)

Sweden 2013
 

Yellow - Red  (YA  R)

Sweden 2014
 

Yellow - Red  (Y1  R)

Sweden 2014

White - Red (WA R)

Sweden 2014
 

White - Red (W1 R)

Sweden 2014
 

White -  metal (WA *)

Sweden 2011

White - metal  (W1 *)

Sweden 2011

Black-  Red (NA R)

Sweden 2014
 

Black -  Red (N1 R)

Sweden 2014
 

Blue - Red (BU R)

Sweden 2014
 

Blue - Yellow (BA Y)

Sweden 2013
 

Blue - Yellow (B1 Y)

Sweden 2013
 

Black - metal (N1 *)

Sweden 2013
 

Green -  metal (GA *)

Sweden 2012
 

Red - metal (RA *)

Sweden 2010
 

Red - metal (R1 *)

Sweden 2010
 

Black - Yellow (NA Y)

Sweden 2013
 

Green - metal (G1 *)

Sweden 2012
 

 

 

Lesser White-fronted Goose from the Swedish breeding program, which was released in 2014 (photo: Gerard Müskens)