THIRD PINK-FOOTED GOOSE RECORD IN EXTREMADURA

Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) Embalse de Valdecañas, Cáceres. 
November 2, 2012. By Javier Briz 

A Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) was located within a group of greylag geese (Anser anser), by Vicente Risco and Javier Briz at Embalse de Valdecañas (Cáceres) on November 2, 2012. The next day it was observed in the same place, both in the morning (Ricardo Montero) and afternoon (Eva Palacios and Sergio Mayordomo).

Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus). Embalse de Valdecañas, Caceres. 
November 3, 2012. By Eva Palacios. 

This is the third record of this species of goose in Extremadura. The previous two, also found with a group of greylag geese took place in Vegas Altas del Guadiana: the first was at embalse de Sierra Brava (Cáceres) on 1/12/2002 (John Muddeman: accepted) and very close to the second last sighting, in the rice fields of Casas de Hitos (Navalvillar de Pela, Badajoz) on 27/11/2010 (José María Salazar and others; pending acceptance).

It is also the third sighting in Spain so far this autumn 2012 (there was one in Orense in September and another in Villafáfila, Zamora, October). Until 2009 in Spain there has been 46 records of 72 individuals. Similar to other rare geese, they are usually seen in traditional areas of wintering greylag goose (Doñana, Villafáfila, La Nava, Vegas Altas), in Galicia and the Cantabrian coast. This species has a small breeding area, with two sub-populations, one in Iceland and Greenland that winters in Britain and another smaller group breeding in Spitsbergen that winters bordering the North See (Denmark, Germany and Holland).

Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) Embalse de Valdecañas, Cáceres. 
November 2, 2012. By Javier Briz 

A Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) was located within a group of greylag geese (Anser anser), by Vicente Risco and Javier Briz at Embalse de Valdecañas (Cáceres) on November 2, 2012. The next day it was observed in the same place, both in the morning (Ricardo Montero) and afternoon (Eva Palacios and Sergio Mayordomo).

Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus). Embalse de Valdecañas, Caceres. 
November 3, 2012. By Eva Palacios. 

This is the third record of this species of goose in Extremadura. The previous two, also found with a group of greylag geese took place in Vegas Altas del Guadiana: the first was at embalse de Sierra Brava (Cáceres) on 1/12/2002 (John Muddeman: accepted) and very close to the second last sighting, in the rice fields of Casas de Hitos (Navalvillar de Pela, Badajoz) on 27/11/2010 (José María Salazar and others; pending acceptance).

It is also the third sighting in Spain so far this autumn 2012 (there was one in Orense in September and another in Villafáfila, Zamora, October). Until 2009 in Spain there has been 46 records of 72 individuals. Similar to other rare geese, they are usually seen in traditional areas of wintering greylag goose (Doñana, Villafáfila, La Nava, Vegas Altas), in Galicia and the Cantabrian coast. This species has a small breeding area, with two sub-populations, one in Iceland and Greenland that winters in Britain and another smaller group breeding in Spitsbergen that winters bordering the North See (Denmark, Germany and Holland).