The Oa Greenland White-Fronted Goose Landscape-Scale Conservation Partnership
3 July 2025Biodiversity conservation is often more effective when implemented across larger areas than a single farm. Collaboration within farmer clusters enables farmers to pool resources, share knowledge, and coordinate actions to enhance biodiversity at a landscape-scale. It can also help foster a sense of community and shared responsibility for the environment. This is particularly important when habitats and species extend or move across farm boundaries. In this case study, we look at a collaborative project to help protect endangered geese and other wildlife on Islay.
What is the issue?
Photo Credit: Helen Bibby
The Oa is a peninsula of land, located on the South-East of the Isle of Islay. It is a mosaic of habitats including dramatic sea cliffs, open moorland, freshwater lochs, coastal grassland and heath, with pockets of more fertile land in the form of species-rich grassland and rush pastures.
The Greenland white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons flavirostris, (GWFG), is considered to be the highest conservation concern among the UK’s geese. The sub-species is classified as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to a rapid and continuing population decline, as well as being a UK red-listed Bird of Conservation Concern. Over half of the world population of GWFG winters in Scotland across a network of traditional sites, with Islay hosting one of the main wintering populations, and the Oa hosting 8% of winter population. However, the winter population of GWFG on Islay is declining faster than average at 22.7% between March 2019 and 2023.
Photo credit: Rae MacKenzie
The decline in the GWFG population is alarming and reflects broader conservation challenges. The key impacts appear to be snow in the breeding grounds in spring, making access to food after migration very difficult, and offtake in Iceland, where birds can be misidentified by hunters when in mixed flocks.
We can ensure that the birds are as fit as possible for their spring migration by minimising disturbance at feeding and roosting areas. Addressing these factors at landscape-scale is crucial to halt and reverse the population decline, ensuring the species' survival and ecological role.
In addition, a large area of the Oa is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Protection Area (SPA), designated for chough, also on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with Islay being one of the last strongholds of the bird. However, the feature is currently ‘unfavourable declining’ citing agricultural operations as a negative pressure.
Photo credit: Helen Bibby
Why does collaboration make sense?
Louise Muir of the RSPB commented that:
“Collaboration between land managers plays a crucial role in supporting biodiversity and strengthening rural communities. When farmers work together - sharing knowledge, resources, and land management strategies - they’re better equipped to implement sustainable practices that support diverse ecosystems. Coordinating management across a large area can have benefits beyond the ecology within the landscape, and cooperation can foster a sense of solidarity and mutual support, helping communities become more resilient socially and economically.
The Oa peninsula on Islay is remote, and farming here is challenging but the landscape hosts some amazing species such as the internationally rare Greenland white-fronted geese who use the wetland areas for feeding and roosting; chough that rely on grazed grasslands for invertebrates and sea caves for nesting; and marsh fritillary butterfly that prefer lightly-grazed heath and coastal habitats.”
The collaboration among three farms on the Oa, including the RSPB reserve, represents a proactive step towards habitat optimisation for multiple species, including the endangered Greenland white-fronted geese and chough, as well as the marsh fritillary butterfly and numerous wader species. This landscape-scale management approach is crucial because these geese exhibit a strong fidelity to specific sites and home ranges over extended periods. By managing nearly 3000ha of land, the partnership aims to create a sustainable environment that caters to the needs of various species, promoting biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Rae MacKenzie, Policy and Operation Manager for NatureScot, agrees that a collaborative approach is crucial, commenting that:
“The population of Greenland white-fronted geese is declining globally and there are concerns for its future. The reasons for the decline are understood to be spring snow in the breeding grounds in west Greenland and hunting in Iceland. Whilst these are factors that cannot be directly addressed here on Islay, what we can do is ensure the geese have access to undisturbed roosting areas on our bogs and feeding areas, mostly in the wetter areas of improved grassland. This ensures that they undertake their spring migration to Greenland in the best possible condition. We have around 50 roost sites scattered across Islay so to maintain these, and associated feeding areas, it takes a collaborative effort from land managers.”
What needs to happen?
The Oa collaboration aims to create a network of connected nature-friendly habitats by maintaining grazed areas and establishing: wetlands with scrapes and pools, seasonally wet pastures, and managed rush pasture, with varied habitat structures.
Sensitive management of the Oa mosaic, with grazed grassland, silage pasture and coastal heath management, along with further research and community engagement, will enhance the mosaic of habitats across the three participating farms. All of the farms feature a combination of these environments and are subject to varying grazing pressures from livestock and wild deer. Effective management of these spaces is crucial for the project's success.
Photo credit: RSPB
Photo credit: Helen Bibby
Landscape scale habitat restoration on the Oa in practical terms:
- The creation of swales, pools, ponds and floods will make a network of wet habitats, increasing wetland connectivity within the landscape. These features will improve water retention at key times and enhance ecosystem resilience. This will benefit breeding waders in spring/summer and wintering wildfowl in autumn/winter.
- Wet grassland with reduced water levels will facilitate vegetation management (e.g. grazing/topping) or maintenance of wet features, which is vital in keeping these wet grassland and fen habitats in favourable condition.
- Generation of a range of habitats that support high plant and invertebrate diversity will increase the range of foraging options that will be available to chough at any point in time. This approach is crucial as chough are sensitive to changes in their environment and rely on specific, interconnected habitats, including: grazing land, cliffs for nesting, and areas with abundant invertebrates. Landscape-scale projects can enhance connectivity between these habitats, allowing choughs to move freely and find food and suitable nesting sites.
- Balancing of grazing pressures from livestock and deer to maintain these habitats in favourable conditions.
- In spring, Greenland white-fronted geese often utilise silage fields as they provide nutritious forage opportunities. Managing these fields to support geese involves timing the cutting and grazing practices across the Oa to ensure food availability while allowing for regrowth. Encouraging plant diversity and minimising inorganic inputs will also enhance the habitat’s suitability.
What is the desired outcome?
The decline in Greenland white-fronted geese populations is largely due to reduced productivity, potentially linked to climate change. Their strong site fidelity and limited home ranges make them vulnerable to habitat or land use changes, making landscape-scale collaboration essential.
Photo credit: RSPB
Research has explored practical management techniques to improve wintering habitat for GWFG on Islay, demonstrating that wetland creation and appropriate associated pasture management, similar to that envisaged within the Oa project, delivered in excess of a threefold increase in GWFG utilisation of that land parcel. It is therefore hoped that this will be replicated at landscape-scale on the Oa.
Through provision of better-quality habitat, it is hoped that birds will be in better condition during migration/breeding and that this may help offset the lack of productivity.
The project also aims to deliver legacy through a community engagement program to foster understanding and support for GWFG conservation through educational activities, community events, and peer learning among land managers.
Key Messages:
- Coordinating management across a large area can have benefits beyond the ecology within the landscape, and cooperation can foster a sense of solidarity and mutual support.
- Landscape-scale habitat restoration builds resilience against climate change impacts by maintaining larger, more diverse ecosystems. Additionally, it encourages community involvement, generating broader support and ensuring that conservation efforts are aligned with local needs and values, and fostering long-term commitment and success.
- Creating interconnected habitats that support GWFG seasonal needs, including feeding and roosting sites will enhance ecological resilience by providing diverse habitats, ensuring the geese can adapt to environmental changes.
- A key species will drive a landscape-scale collaboration project, but management should be sensitive to other species that use the habitat.
- The effectiveness of any management actions applied should be assessed not solely by monitoring compliance with the management prescriptions, but also monitoring the impact of the actions on habitat diversity and quality.
Related links
Landscape-Scale Conservation - https://www.fas.scot/article/landscape-scale-conservation/
Goose Management in Scotland - https://www.fas.scot/article/goose-management-in-scotland/
Islay Geese Podcast - https://www.fas.scot/podcast/islay-geese/
RSPB; White Fronted Goose - https://www.fas.scot/podcast/islay-geese/
Species on the Edge; Greenland White Fronted Goose - https://speciesontheedge.co.uk/greenland-white-fronted-goose/
Jenny Love, SAC Consulting
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