Geese

Combination of :
* one c-ring with one alpha-numeric code (on left leg).
* one c-ring with one alpha-numeric code (on right leg).

These pale-bellied brent are from the ECHA (East Canadian High Arctic) flyway population. They breed very far north in Canada, and overwinter mainly in Ireland, although some birds also go to western and southern GB, the Channel Islands and France (mainly Normandy). They stage for a considerable period in spring and autumn in Iceland, and have a hazardous trip over the Greenland Icecap in between. With two good breeding seasons now, the current flyway population is of the order of 38 - 40,000 birds.
Our current ringing programme commenced in 2001. We ring mainly by canon-netting here in Ireland, and on the spring migration in Iceland in May. Two expeditions have been mounted to catch birds in Canada, in 2007 and 2014. On both occasions, just under 200 birds were caught whilst flightless (herded by helicopter!!). Overall we have now caught just over 4,700 individual geese, so it is well worthwhile checking out any flocks you might come across for leg-rings. Currently resightings are reaching well over 10,000 records per year from the wintering grounds, and a further up to 5,000 from Iceland in spring and autumn.

note 1 : used colours and codes :
- lime-green ring with a black code (right leg) and yellow ring with a black code (on left leg)
- white ring with a black code (on right leg) and white ring with a black code (on left leg)
- dark-blue ring with a white code (on right leg) and white ring with a black code (on left leg)
- blue ring with a white code (on right leg) and blue ring with a white code (on left leg)
- yellow ring with a black code (on right leg) and yellow ring with a black code (on left leg)
- red ring with a white code (on right leg) and yellow ring with a black code (on left leg)
- red ring with a white code (on right leg) and blue ring with a white code (on left leg)
- white ring with a black code (on right leg) and blue ring with a white code (on left leg)
- white ring with a black code (on right leg) and red ring with a white code (on left leg)
- red ring with a white code (on right leg) and red ring with a white code (on left leg)
- blue ring with a white code (on right leg) and yellow ring with a black code (on left leg)
- orange ring with black code (right leg), black ring with white code (left leg).
- blue ring with a white two codes (right leg), orange ring with black code (left leg).
- black ring with a white code (on right leg), white ring with a black code (on left leg).
- yellow ring with a black code (on right leg), green ring with a white code (on left leg).

note 2 : birds are ringed in Ireland, Iceland and Canada.