The global population of Greenland White-fronted Geese in spring 2025 comprised 13,303 individuals, 5,086 in Ireland and 8,217 in Britain, the lowest count on record, a decline of 11.6% from the 15,043 counted the previous spring. Numbers at Wexford, SE Ireland, fell by a third from 4,283 last spring to 2,858 in spring 2025 (after departures of geese mid-winter). Counts elsewhere in Ireland rose from the low of 1,325 last spring to 2,228 in 2025. The percentage of young among wintering Wexford geese were among the lowest on record again (4.7%) and generally low elsewhere, due to poor spring conditions on the west Greenland breeding areas. The conservation status of these geese is now increasingly perilous.
Among Irish wintering geese, the percentage young birds in aged samples after the 2024 breeding season was again very low at 5.3% (based on 3,402 aged) compared to 2.9% last season. There were 4.7% young among 2,732 aged at Wexford (a slight improvement on last season’s very low 2.4% but reflecting a long decline there since the late 1980s). Elsewhere in Ireland, reproductive success was also low at 7.9% (based on a sample of 670 compared to 18.2% last season based on 99 birds aged at two flocks). Mean brood size among the Irish flocks was low (2.22, n = 67) but slightly up on 1.96 last season. Mean brood size at Wexford was 2.15, based on 48 broods (compared to 1.69 last season). Elsewhere in Ireland, mean brood size was 2.42 (n = 19, compared to 2.57 last season).
