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Branta leucopsis
Easily distinguished from other Branta geese by the white face. These geese breed in the Arctic islands of the North Atlantic - interestingly, the birds that migrate to Svalbard for the summer actually winter in the UK, so it's possible I might see these guys again in a few months' time if I look in the right place!
When breeding, it nests on cliffs and rocky shores. Spends winters on salt marshes and grassy offshore islands.
Found a small flock of these birds in Ny-Alesund, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. They were moderately shy, and I was unable to get any closer to them as we weren't allowed to leave the path since all non-paved areas were considered a protected wildlife sanctuary (as far as reasons for not getting closer to birds go, I'm happy with that one!).
Spotted on Jun 20, 2012
Submitted on Jul 15, 2012
2 Comments
Lovely spotting, Laura!
Great spotting Laura Maria :)