Branta ruficollis
The Red-breasted Goose breeds in arctic Europe, especially Northern Siberia on the Taomyr peninsula. It is often close to nests of large birds of prey, such as Peregrine Falcons. This helps to protect this small goose from predators such as the Arctic Fox. In winters it migrates to southeastern Europe, especially Eastern Romania at the edge of the Black Sea. Wintering geese feed on winter wheat, barley, maize, pasture grasses and, in Greece, natural grassland.
The species of genus Branta are in general the so-called “black” geese. In reality when all of the Branta geese are assembled they are better described as having bolder patterned black or brown with white plumage than those geese classified as Anser species. The bills and legs of all of the Branta species are black.
Picture taken in the Attica Zoological Park, Athens, Greece, in June 2007.
Genus Branta
Tribe Anserini
Subfamily Anserinae
Family Anatidae
Order Anseriformes
Class Aves
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
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