Abstract
We have investigated historical records of observations of Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus of the original Fennoscandian population in the area in Sweden where captive-reared goslings of the same species were released during 1981–1999. The release project has earlier been regarded as a re-introduction project. The data in this review include reports from many sources and we can present earlier unpublished observations from the area. The large number of observations of birds from the Fennoscandian population proves that the release of goslings in the actual area was a supplementation of a small but extant population and not a re-introduction.
Highlights
From the 1950s to the 1990s the breeding population of Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus in Sweden decreased from some thousand pairs to about 10 pairs in 1990 (von Essen 1999)
During the period 1981–1999, 348 geese were released in a traditional breeding area of the species in Swedish Lapland (Andersson & Larsson 2006)
Considering the historical records of occurrence in these areas and the site fidelity of released geese, it is most likely that the main part of these observations consists of geese from the original Fennoscandian population
Summary
From the 1950s to the 1990s the breeding population of Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus in Sweden decreased from some thousand pairs to about 10 pairs in 1990 (von Essen 1999). During the following decade the decline continued. The trend was similar in Norway, Finland and western Russia 2008) with a significant and continuous decrease. The species is probably extinct in Finland today. In the late 1970s, Lambart von Essen at the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management started to prepare a release programme. During the period 1981–1999, 348 geese were released in a traditional breeding area of the species in Swedish Lapland (Andersson & Larsson 2006). No captive-reared geese have been released after 1999
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