Red-breasted Goose

One of the smallest wild goose species, unmistakable with its chestnut-red, black and white colouration. Despite its striking colours and small, almost duck-like size, it is not always easy to spot in large flocks of wild geese, especially under autumn and winter weather conditions such as fog.

A globally endangered species, it breeds in a relatively small area of the tundra in Eastern Siberia. Its population is vulnerable due both to its limited breeding range and negative changes in its wintering grounds. Most of its population winters in the Danube Delta of Romania and Bulgaria, with smaller flocks found in the marshes of the Euphrates. Historically, large numbers also wintered around the Caspian Sea.

Until the late 1990s, only small flocks reached the Carpathian Basin. However, over the past 20 years, due to habitat modifications and intensive hunting on Black Sea wintering grounds, increasingly large flocks—sometimes hundreds or even thousands—have appeared in the alkaline plains and fishponds of Eastern Hungary. In recent years, they have also been seen regularly in increasing numbers at the Tatai-tavak Ramsar Site, particularly on the Öreg-tó from November to February. The highest recorded count was 75 individuals in 2014.

It is a Natura 2000 qualifying species, strictly protected, with a conservation value of 1,000,000 HUF.

Illustration: Szabolcs Kókay – BirdLife Hungary– www.mme.hu