Sighting records of Greylag Goose (Anser anser) from Maharashtra Raju Kasambe*, Dr. Anil Pimplapure**, Mr. Gopal Thosar*** & Dr. Manohar Khode# *G-1, Laxmi Apartments, 64, Vidya Vihar Colony, Pratap Nagar, Nagpur-440022, Maharashtra E-mail:
[email protected], Phone: (0712-2241893) **Q-12, Siddhivinayak Apartments, Laxmi Nagar, Nagpur-440022, Maharashtra ***Honorary Wildlife Warden, 66, Ganesh Colony, Pratap Nagar, Nagpur-440022, Maharashtra #Shivaji Nagar, At. Warud, District Amravati, Maharashtra. Dr. Manohar Khode alongwith birder friend Mr. P. D. Lad had gone to birdwatching on 31st October 1993 at Pandhari reservoir near Warud in Amravati district of Maharashtra. They got a pleasant surprise when they saw a flock of large birds looking somewhat like domestic goose but grey-brown in colour. The size was as big as Barheaded Goose (Anser indicus) but they were different in colouration. On comparison with colour plates in the Pictorial Guide (1995) they identified the geese as Greylag Goose (Anser anser). Total 11 geese were sighted here. Thereafter a follow up was kept every year at the Pandhari reservoir in winter. However Greylag Goose was not sighted again. Probably this flock was vagrant. The Greylag Goose is large goose with overall gray colour, pink bill and pink legs. It is winter a visitor to the northern subcontinent. On 31st December 2006, the authors (RK, AP, GT) visited Shiregaon Bandh reservoir near Navegaon Bandh Sanctuary in Gondia district of Maharashtra. Again authors visited Shiregaon Bandh reservoir on 1st January 2007. From the roadside we could see few Greylag Goose at the far end of the reservoir. Then we visited the backside of the reservoir.