Finland records decade-low number of white-cheeked geese

Finland’s white-cheeked goose population has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade, Yle reported, citing the conservation organisation BirdLife.

About 23,100 white-cheeked geese were recorded in the autumn count of Finland’s breeding population. BirdLife said the total was clearly lower than last autumn and below the levels seen in recent years.

The last time so few geese were recorded was in 2013. The count, conducted at the end of August, was based on observations by volunteer birdwatchers.

In the capital region, observers counted 8,500 geese, 2,000 fewer than last autumn and clearly below the average for recent years.

Vesa Koskikallio, a project manager for the City of Helsinki, told Yle in June that changes to the landscape and the reduction of grassland linked to redevelopment may have contributed to the decline at Töölönlahti and Arabianranta.

Numbers varied in other coastal areas. There were few geese on the Kymenlaakso coast, while Porvoo also recorded fewer than average. In Southwest Finland, the number was similar to that of recent years, while the Lahti region recorded a slight increase.

The number of white-cheeked goose chicks was lower this year than last year in every counting area.