English: Greylag Goose, Grey Goose, Eastern Greylag Goose
Russian: Серый гусь
German: Graugans
French: Oie cendree
Mongolian: Бор галуу
Japanese: ハイイロガン(Haiiro-gan)

Body length: 74-84 cm
Wing span: 149-168 cm

Passage migrant
Breeding season: May-August

Egg number: 4-6 (occasionally 3-8)
Egg color: Creamy-white with slight fine granular texture
Brood: 1 per year

Global status: Least Concern
Regional status: Least Concern

Habitat: Breeds in variety of habitats mainly wetlands, from shallow lakes with reedbeds and freshwater marshes to islets in larger lakes, coasts (even brackish water), heather, rocky slopes, etc. British breeders mainly resident, most others migratory. Increasing in numbers. Only grey goose to be seen in large numbers in summer in Europe.

Identification: Large equaled in size only by largest Taiga Bean Goose, but bulkier, with ticker neck, larger head and heavier bill, latter being all pinkish-orange or pink. Legs dull pinkish. Wings broad, flight heavy. Plumage rather plain brown-grey without strong contrasts, head and neck typically rather pale. A few have insignificant thin white rim at base of bill, and many have some dark marks on belly. In flight, upper forewing strikingly pale ash-grey, contrasting sharply with darker rear parts of wing and with darker back. Underwing characteristic, too, otherwise dark wing having pale grey leading edge distinctly set off, thus two-coloured, unique among European geese. Greylags flying away from observer can be recognized by size and pale grey rump, contrasting with dark brown tertials and back.

Variation: Western birds comparatively darker, smaller and with more orange tinge to bill; eastern paler, larger and have pinkish bill; E European breeders appear to be intermediates.

Food: Grain, root crops and leafy vegetation.