Red-breasted Geese breed in arctic Europe, often close to
nests of large birds of prey, such as Peregrine Falcons, it
is believe that it helps protect this small goose from
predators such as Arctic Fox. The first British record was
of a bird shot near London in the early part of 1776,
possibly in the north Kent marshes, though the precise
location is unknown. This specimen was passed to the Hancock
Museum in Newcastle, where it was often mistakenly said to
be a bird that was found later in the same year near
Wycliffe-on-Tees in Yorkshire. This bird was kept alive on a
small pond with Mallards becoming very attached to one of
them before dying in 1785.
There has been just one Red-breasted Goose reported from S.
Gloucestershire;
1909: (1)
On November 18th an adult was ‘obtained’ at
Oldbury-on-Severn. This occurrence constitutes the first
report of this species for S. Gloucestershire.