Look out for rare goslings
ONE of the rarest birds in captivity have hatched at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre.
The Lancashire wetland nature reserve is the only location in the north of England where you can see the four spur-winged goose goslings.
The last time Martin Mere reared spur-winged goslings was back in 2007 when 10 goslings hatched out.
Grounds manager, Steve Nasir, says: “The Spur-winged geese are magnificent birds, I am absolutely delighted and very excited about breeding these birds – it will actually be the first time I have ever been involved with rearing spur-winged. Not only do we get comments that they look like dinosaurs but the male has sharp spurs that over an inch long on their wings. They use these spurs in defence and it is the only bird that has a risk assessment in the Martin Mere grounds.”
The spur-winged geese will eat blister beetles which have a poison called Cantharidin. This poison builds up as toxins in their body which actually makes the birds poisonous to eat.
The goslings will soon be available to see in the nursery.