The global population of Greenland White-fronted Geese in spring 2026 was estimated at 14,992 individuals, 5,845 of which were counted in Ireland and 9,147 in Britain, a modest 12.7% increase over the 13,303 counted the previous spring. Numbers at Wexford, SE Ireland, rose by 18.3% from 2,858 in spring 2025 to 3,380 in spring 2026 and on Islay, Scotland by 14.4%, from 4,274 to 4,889. Numbers elsewhere in Ireland increased from 2,228 in spring 2025 to 2,465 in 2026, while counts elsewhere in Britain rose from 3,943 to 4,258. The percentage of young among wintering geese on Islay (12.3%) was just under the long-term average, but was low elsewhere in Britain (6.5%), at Wexford (5.1%) and elsewhere in Ireland (7.5%). Despite this welcome increase in overall numbers, the population remains in unfavourable conservation status.
Among Irish wintering geese, the percentage of young birds in aged samples after the 2025 breeding season was again very low at 6.1% (based on 3,265 aged) compared to 5.3% last season. There were 5.1% young among 1,856 aged at Wexford (a slight improvement on last season’s 4.7% but still much lower than in the 1980s). Elsewhere in Ireland, reproductive success was also low at 7.5% (based on a sample of 1,409 compared to 7.9% last season). Mean brood size among the Irish flocks was 2.27 (n = 59) compared to 2.22 last season. Mean brood size at Wexford was 2.37, based on 35 broods (compared to 2.15 last season).
