SHELDGEESE

AN ENDANGERED SPECIES
Did you know that…
FEATURES

50 cm height. It has a red head, barred chest, orange legs and a white ring around the eye.

HELP US PRESERVE IT
population

Its continental population does not reach 1000 individuals.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…
GRAZING

When they eat in agricultural fields they consume a lot of weeds.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…
SPECIES

In Buenos Aires province they live in large flocks that they share with two other species: Upland goose and Ashy-
headed goose.

individuals / km2
0,0 0
nutrients supply / ha
0,0 0
WHERE DO THEY LIVE?
habitat

They spent their winter in the southeast of Buenos Aires, then migrate to lay their eggs and raise their chicks in thein the Austral Argentinean and Chilean Patagonia 

WHAT DO WE DO?
Satellite tracking

We study their migratory routes with satellite devices. Knowing their migration route is essential to ensure that they find the necessary resources and sites during their annual migration.

How many times do they migrate?
migration

They can migrate twice a year: the spring migration (from Buenos Aires to Patagonia) and in the autumn migration (from Patagonia to Buenos Aires).

The sheldgoose route: 2400 km of data to preserve them.

Where are their wintering and breeding areas?
WINTERING/ BREEDING

In Argentina, their breeding areas are found in the south of Patagonia and in Tierra del Fuego, their wintering areas are concentrated in the southeast of Buenos Aires.

They migrate to the wintering area between April and May, remaining there until the end of August, when they begin to move back to their breeding areas.

population density

IN THE SOUTHEAST OF THE PAMPEAN REGION WE ESTIMATED AN AVERAGE DENSITY OF:

RUDDY-HEADED GOOSE

individuals / km2
0,0 0

UPLAND GOOSE

individuals / km2
3, 0

ASHY-HEADED GOOSE

individuals / km2.
1, 0
DID YOU KNOW THAT…
GRAZING

The grazing of sheldgeese does NOT cause wheat yield losses.

WHERE DO THEY MIGRATE?
migration

Both in the spring migration (from Buenos Aires to Austral Patagonia) and in the autumn migration (from Patagonia to Buenos Aires) the geese migrate near the coast and even sometimes by water.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…
migration

Sheldgeese do stopovers throughout their migration...and some of them were located in National Parks.

HOW DO WE STUDY THEM?
CAMERA TRAPS

We use camera traps to discover  the presence and habitat use by predators and Ruddy-headed geese goose.

how do we study them?
ROAD CENSUS

We carry out censuses in vehicles to know how many sheldgeese there are and what environments they use.

PRODUCERS

PERCEPTIONS AND OPINIONS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS IN THE SOUTHEAST OF BUENOS AIRES
WHAT IS THE PERCEPTION OF PRODUCERS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF SHELDGEESE?
amount

More than 65% of the producers surveyed considered that there are fewer sheldgeese today than 5 years ago.

WHAT DO FARMERS THINK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTS USED BY THESE BIRDS?
ENVIRONMENT

Producers point out that these birds use wheat and barley crops.

WHAT IS THE PERCEPTION OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY SHELDGEESE GRAZING?
damage
60% of the producers considered that the current damage is less than the damage 5 years ago.