Graylag geese, migratory birds that breed in Iceland in the summer, have begun to spend a longer time in the country than they used to. In the winter, it is common to see flocks of geese waddle through inhabited areas looking for food.
Geese. Photo by Páll Kjartansson.
Animal scientist and goose specialist Dr. Arnór Þórir Sigfússon attributes this development to milder winters and significant increase in grain cultivation, Morgunblaðið reports.
The geese also fly shorter distances to winter habitats than they used to; now often residing in the Orkney Islands instead of flying further south in the British Isles.
Therefore not as many geese from the graylag stock are hunted in the winter in the UK as when they flew further south, whereas the hunting of graylag geese has increased in Iceland.
ESA
