What they like

Peace. Space. Water. Wet grasslands, ponds, floodplains and wide ditches where you can forage comfortably and scan the surroundings. Short grass nearby is ideal: there you can spot danger in time. Leave a bank untidy. Reed, scrub and a few wet nooks: great hiding spots for goslings. In parks or yards: keep dogs on a leash along water edges during the breeding season. On farmland: work with wet/damp patches and leave a wide, unmown ditch edge.

Ecological importance

Greylag geese are grazers. They clip grass and herbs short, fertilize the land and help keep open areas open. Goslings initially feed largely on insects and other small creatures from wet margins: the richer the ditch bank, the higher their chances of survival. Eggs and goslings are in turn prey for foxes and large gulls.

When in the Netherlands

Year-round. Many breed here; in winter extra birds arrive from the north.

Status

Common. Large numbers, locally often abundant.