Barnacle Geese in Longyearbyen	6 August 2025
When I started to study the barnacle geese in Ny-Ålesund, this was the only place in the world where the geese were grazing inside the village during the flightless moult period. But in the meanwhile, the geese have exploded in Longyearbyen. It started with up to 2000 geese moulting on the west banke of the lake Isdammen. But they discovered there was no danger from people in the village and are now in high numbers grazing on the lush vegetation in town. The grasses are very green as they have been fertilized to stimulate re-colonisation after digging for pipes. In the video on the right, the geese march in a parade over the street. In the video below, the geese are together in a small area and become restless. They start to make a lot of noise. Can you recognize the goslings in the flock?

Video made by Sven Achtermann	Video made by Fieke Rader

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