Sheldgeese still in the UK?

P

Pertinax

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
After a recent visit to Slimbridge, I've become interested in trying to find out if any remaining UK collections still hold any of these birds anymore. The following species in particular seem to have become almost nonexistent;

Upland Goose/Magellan Goose.
Andean Goose.
Blue-winged/Abyssian Goose.
Ashy headed/Ruddy headed goose (Slimbridge still have both these, anywhere else?)
Spur-winged goose (not actually a sheldgoose I don't think)

These pugnacious birds were never very popular except in specialist collections due to their bullying/aggression to other species. But even places like the WWT reserves no longer seem to have more than the odd species either on or off show nowadays. Asking them direct or checking Zootierliste doesn't always elicit an answer(or an accurate one) so I'm asking if anyone sees any of these species in their travels around UK collections to post it on here. Private or commercial wildfowl sellers are another possible, or even more likely source. Thankyou.
 
I remember being chased by geese around Argyll wildlife park circa 2003. Can't remember what species they were. Too busy running for my life!
 
River Cottage (which as far as I'm aware is not connected with the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall outfit of the same name) currently has Magellan and Ruddy-Headed Geese for sale:

Geese for sale at River Cottage Waterfowl, Cambridge

Anglia Waterfowl sells a very large range of geese including Magpies, Cape Barrens, and Abysinnians:

Wildfowl Page For Anglia Waterfowl and Poultry Website :: The Leading Waterfowl And Poultry Breeder in Suffolk

Smith's Nurseries has Cape Barrens, Magpies, Greater Magellans and a few more:

Ornamental Geese
 
Jennings said:
River Cottage (which as far as I'm aware is not connected with the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall outfit of the same name) currently has Magellan and Ruddy-Headed Geese for sale:

Geese for sale at River Cottage Waterfowl, Cambridge

Anglia Waterfowl sells a very large range of geese including Magpies, Cape Barrens, and Abysinnians:

Wildfowl Page For Anglia Waterfowl and Poultry Website :: The Leading Waterfowl And Poultry Breeder in Suffolk

Smith's Nurseries has Cape Barrens, Magpies, Greater Magellans and a few more:

Ornamental Geese
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Thankyou for these links. As I suspected, private breeders do hold most/some of these species still, plus the Cereopsis, Magpie, Orinoco etc which I omitted from the list, so they are still about in some places. Public collections do seem to have largely ditched them though.
 
WWT Llanelli have a pair of Ruddy-headed Goose in their South American pen .
There have been encouraging signs with the captive collection recently - a rebuilt Duckery , new covered pen for a young pair of Red-Crowned Cranes ( one of which was bred at the micro-zoo behind the Pen-y-Cae Inn on the road to Brecon ) , a new pen for White Storks is nearly complete . A number of species have returned to the collection as well , amongst them Magpie Geese and Crested Ducks .
 
Drayton manor hold Hawaiian goose not sure if these are sheldgeese
 
Pertinax said:
After a recent visit to Slimbridge, I've become interested in trying to find out if any remaining UK collections still hold any of these birds anymore. The following species in particular seem to have become almost nonexistent.....
Ashy headed/Ruddy headed goose (Slimbridge still have both these, anywhere else?)
Click to expand...
The London branch of the Wildfowl Trust, at Barnes, definitely had ruddy-headed goose two years ago; I posted photos of the species taken there in March 2022 (and they are still listed there accordingly to ZooTierListe).
J C said:
Drayton manor hold Hawaiian goose not sure if these are sheldgeese
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No Hawaiian geese and sheldgeese belong to different sub-families.
 
MikeG said:
Unfortunately, later in 2022, Barnes sent their Ruddy-heads to other WWT centres.
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I could start a new game; Where are the Sheldgeese. I'll start...

Slimbridge; Ashy-headed(onshow). Ruddy-headed (offshow).

Next...;)
 
I have seen the following sheldgeese species at the following collections in the years:

Martin Mere (Ruddy-headed, Ashy-headed & Andean in the years 2019 & 2021)
South Lakes Zoo (Egyptian & Upland in 2022)
Tropical Birdland (Orinoco in 2022)
Blackpool Zoo (Orinoco in 2019)
Chester Zoo (Orinoco in 2023)
Lotherton Hall (Orinoco in 2022)

On my visit to Slimbridge in the Winter of 2023 I didn't see a single sheldgoose species
 
Prochilodus246 said:
I have seen the following sheldgeese species at the following collections in the years:

Martin Mere (Ruddy-headed, Ashy-headed & Andean in the years 2019 & 2021)
South Lakes Zoo (Egyptian & Upland in 2022)
Tropical Birdland (Orinoco in 2022)
Blackpool Zoo (Orinoco in 2019)
Chester Zoo (Orinoco in 2023)
Lotherton Hall (Orinoco in 2022)

On my visit to Slimbridge in the Winter of 2023 I didn't see a single sheldgoose species
Click to expand...

Thankyou. Very informative. I think the Ashy-headed at Slimbridge have only been on display relatively recently (in a seperate pen next to main South American section with the stepping stones -it looked newish.) I think the main area where the various Sheldgeese used to be kept has been completely cleared of pens and is just an open space now.
 
As it's not been mentioned here yet, I can confirm that WWT Washington had both Orinoco Goose and Blue-winged Goose on show (at least two of each) when I was there last month. :)
 
I saw a video clip recently that showed Cereopsis at Martin Mere with new goslings. Surprising that Simbridge may be seen to have less Sheldgeese in their collection than some of the other 'satellite' WWT collections.
 
Pertinax said:
I saw a video clip recently that showed Cereopsis at Martin Mere with new goslings. Surprising that Simbridge may be seen to have less Sheldgeese in their collection than some of the other 'satellite' WWT collections.
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Indeed. Washington had Cereopsis as well, in fact.
 
Chester's Orinoco Geese are currently offshow. They have been removed from the South American aviary because they were harrassing the flamingos.

In 1988/89 my local park (Longton Park, operated by Stoke-on-Trent City Council) had a pair of free-range Ruddy-headed Geese, among other exotic waterfowl. The lake area was quite interesting.
 
bongorob said:
Chester's Orinoco Geese are currently offshow. They have been removed from the South American aviary because they were harrassing the flamingos.

In 1988/89 my local park (Longton Park, operated by Stoke-on-Trent City Council) had a pair of free-range Ruddy-headed Geese, among other exotic waterfowl. The lake area was quite interesting.
Click to expand...
Sounds
typical for sheldgeese.
with their reputation for bullying other species- which is probably why they are not very popular. Most places, like Slimbridge used to, keep them in seperately pens on their own.But I love their feisty behaviour and bright colours.
 
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