Justification This species has been downlisted to Vulnerable because despite poor breeding success in recent years owing to drought, and considerable pressure from habitat loss, particularly owing to agricultural development, and unsustainable levels of hunting, comprehensive surveys in the wintering range have failed to detect evidence of declines of the magnitude predicted.

Family/Sub-family Anatidae

Species name author (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 81-94 cm. Large goose with bi-colored neck and all black bill. Dark brown crown, nape and hindneck contrast strongly with pale creamy-brownish lower sides of head and foreneck. Adult has a whitish band from lores across forehead, bordering base of bill. Juvenile has duller crown, nape and hindneck and lacks whitish face-band. Similar spp. Greylag Goose A. anser has orange bill and lacks pale foreneck and whitish face-band. Voice Prolonged, resounding honk, ending at higher pitch. Repeated, short, harsh notes when alarmed.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

60,000 - 80,000

decreasing

1,620,000 km²

No

Range & population Anser cygnoides has its key breeding grounds in the border area between Russia, Mongolia and mainland China, with totals of 33,000 and 12,000 birds recorded in east Mongolia during surveys in 2003⁶ and 2004⁴ respectively. Other breeding sites include the lower reaches of the Amur river, north-western Sakhalin Island and Lake Khanka, Russia, western Mongolia and China. A poorly known population also appears to breed in eastern Kazakhstan, around Saisan-Lake and further east¹, but its current status is unknown. Breeding is suspected in north-eastern North Korea. It winters in North Korea, South Korea, central China, and occasionally in Japan and Taiwan (China). Key wintering sites lie along the coast of Jiangsu and around the lakes of Poyang Hu and Dongting Hu in the Yangtze basin, China. Its population is estimated at 60,000-80,000 individuals, with significant declines in recent decades. However, a flock of 61,650 individuals was found at Shahu Lake (part of the Poyang Lake complex) in 2002², and in 2004/2005 totals, again numbering 61,000 individuals were counted in the lower YangtzeValley³.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It breeds in wetlands in the steppe and forest-steppe zones, including river deltas, river valleys with meadows, the margins of brackish and freshwater lakes, and in mountainous areas along narrow, fast-flowing rivers. In winter, it occurs in lowland lakeside marshes, rice-fields, estuaries and tidal flats. Recent research involving satellite tagging individuals has revealed that birds migrate in stages, stopping at a number of sites en route between breeding an wintering grounds⁵. Birds gather in large flocks to moult in late July prior to migration⁶.

Threats In Russia, the main threats are uncontrolled hunting, and drainage and ploughing of breeding and moulting habitats, but disturbance by people and cattle also cause high levels of chick mortality⁸. In China, agricultural development at breeding grounds has resulted in wetland destruction and increased disturbance. Egg collection on Sanjiang plain (China), coupled with habitat loss to agricultural development, has probably resulted in a decline in the numbers of breeding Anatidae there of 90% in the last 30 years. Recent droughts on the breeding grounds have resulted in a number of years of poor recruitment⁷. Hunting of waterfowl remains a serious problem in many parts of China. Its wetland wintering grounds are under increasing pressure from development and pollution.

Conservation measures underway CMS Appendix II. It is legally protected in Russia, Mongolia and South Korea and some provinces in China. Several important sites are protected in Russia, Mongolia and China. In 2006 breeding birds in eastern Mongolia were fitted with satellite transmitters to research winter movements as a component of avian influenza research⁵.

Conservation measures proposed Survey the shores of Alexandra, Nikolay, Ul'banski and Tugurski bays (Russia). Study its decline and establish more protected areas in its breeding grounds. Protect breeding and moulting habitats in Russia. Protect the area around Chertovo lake and link it to the Orlik Wildlife Refuge (Russia). Expand the Khanka Lake Nature Reserve (Russia). Establish a protected area at the Han river estuary (South Korea). Regulate the hunting of all species of Anatidae in China. Reduce hunting at passage and wintering sites in Russia. Ensure legal protection in range states.

References BirdLife International (2001). 1. L. Lachmann in litt. (2003). 2. Zhao Jing-Shen (2002). 3. M. Barter and C. Lei in litt. (2007). 4. Robson (2004). 5. T. Mundkur in litt. (2006). 6. O. Goroshko in litt. (2003). 7. P. Nikolay in litt. (2007). 8. Goroshko (2004).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Leonardo Cabrera, Simba Chan (Wild Bird Society of Japan), Mike Crosby (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Nic Peet (BirdLife International), John Pilgrim (BirdLife International)

Contributors Mark Barter, Lei Cao, Oleg Goroshko (Daursky State Nature Reserve), Lars Lachmann (German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation), Taej Mundkur (Wetlands International), Nikolay Poyarkov, David Stroud

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Mike Crosby (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Anser cygnoides. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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