(branta ruficollis)
The Red-breasted Goose is an arctic breeder which winters in N and W of the Black Sea, mainly in Rumania and Bulgaria. In Scotland, an occasional bird may be found most winters usually associated with flocks of other geese. Unfortunately many sightings of Red-breasted Goose are assumed to be escapees as the species is popular in wildfowl collections. The bird photographed here was found in central Scotland in June, an unlikely time for a genuine wild bird to be in our area. However, it is un-ringed and free flying so it could be a genuine vagrant which has just chosen not to return to its own part of the world. It is however remarkably tame and approachable. With un-ringed birds, such things can never be proved one way or the other.