Lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus) CMS STATUS Appendix I & II CMS INSTRUMENT(S) African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA)

The globally threatened lesser white-fronted goose is a Palearctic migrant, breeding discontinuously in forest- or shrub tundra and mountainous shrubby wetlands from Fennoscandia to easternmost Russia. The species has declined rapidly since the 1950s leading to a fragmentation of its breeding range. Many key stop-over and wintering sites are still unknown. Today, three distinct wild sub-populations remain, of which the two Western Palearctic subpopulations (Fennoscandian and Western main) continue to decline. The Eastern main sub- population is currently thought to be stable. In addition, a small population which migrates to the Netherlands has been supplemented/re-introduced in Sweden using a human-modified flyway.

Threats to migration pathways

Although legally protected in almost all range states, accidental and illegal hunting are thought to pose the main threats to the lesser white-fronted goose. This is particularly the case along the flyway of the Western main population, but hunting is also considered the foremost threat in the south-eastern European wintering areas of the small Fennoscandian population.

The lesser white-fronted goose is a so-called look-alike species, which constitutes the major barrier to implementing effective

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conservation measures to minimize the negative impact of hunting. It very closely resembles the greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons), which is a common quarry species across its entire range. When migrating together in mixed flocks the two species are hard to distinguish, particularly in flight. Additional threats include habitat loss and predation. Further, gaps in key knowledge, such as the location of the wintering sites of the Western main population, continue to limit the effective implementation of conservation measures.