Statistics of the British Population of the Pink-Footed Goose

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Abstract
Total numbers, mortality and fertility of British-wintering population of Anser brachyrhynchus are estimated from recoveries and recaptures of over 14,800 geese banded in Britain and Iceland from 1950 to 1954. This population, breeding in Iceland and Greenland, is almost independent of one breeding in Spitzbergen and wintering in Germany, Denmark and Holland. 89% of 982 reported recoveries were due to man, nearly all in Britain. Best estimate of annual death rate of geese more than 1-year-old is 26.0 [plus or minus] 1.6%. Losses between 4 and 16 months of age are 42.0 [plus or minus] 2.8%. In 1951 and 1953 losses of goslings from largest known breeding colony were about 60% between hatching and arrival in Britain in early Oct. Size of British population is estimated, by capture-recapture methods, at 37200 [plus or minus] 6500 on Nov. 1, 1952 and 49600 [plus or minus] 8500 on Nov. 1, 1953. Numbers of sexually mature females in 1951-54 are estimated at 7600-10,400. Most individuals do not breed until 32 months old. Observed mean clutch-size of 4.5 is substantially higher than apparent requirement for replacing adult losses. Complete nesting failure by substantial part of potential breeding population seems usual, even in climatically favorable years.

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