Various declarations and legal changes affect the Greenland White-fronted Goose.
Globally, the Greenland White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons flavirostris has been categorised as “Endangered” using IUCN’s global Red List criteria [criteria A4abcd, C1] under domestic legisation (Boertmann 2007; Stanbury et al. 2021) although not officially recognized by IUCN. This is because IUCN does not normally issue Red List status to subspecies, unless by special documentation. However, nation states have the right to undertake their own classifications using IUCN global Red List criteria as outlined in the table below. In addition, the Greenland White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons flavirostris is listed on Annex I of the European Union Birds Directive. It is also listed in Annex II of the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement and listed in Category 2* of Column A of AEWA’s Action Plan (as revised at MoP4 in 2008).
| Country | GWfG status in national legislation | GWfG status in national Red Data Book (or equivalent) |
| Greenland | Fully protected in Greenland from April 2009 under the terms of Greenland Home Rule Executive Order No. 8 of 2 March 2009. | Anser albifrons flavirostris is listed as Endangered (according to IUCN criteria) in Red List of Greenland flora and fauna (Boertmann 2007). |
| Iceland | Since September 2006 Anser albifrons flavirostris has been protected. (Legally, through its removal from Regulation 456/1994 on Bird Hunting and Utilization of Wild Birds as a Natural resource by Regulation 516/2006. Both these Regulations were issued under the Law on Conservation, Protection and Hunting of Wild Birds and Wild Mammals, No. 64/1994). | Anser albifrons flavirostris is red listed as Endangered category 4a, see the Icelandic Red List for Birds from 2018 at https://www.ni.is/en/resources/publications/red-lists/fuglar |
| United Kingdom | Anser albifrons fully protected at all times by Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) in Scotland, and by the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 in Northern Ireland. Anser albifrons is only protected in close season in England and Wales, and thus A. a. flavirostris is potentially a quarry species in both these countries | Anser albifrons flavirostris is listed on the Red List of species of high conservation concern in Britain (as well as listed as Endangered according to IUCN criteria) in the most recent review of Birds of Conservation Concern (Stanbury et al. 2021). In Northern Ireland, Anser albifrons flavirostris is listed on the Amber List of Birds of Conservation Concern (BirdWatch Ireland & RSPB Northern Ireland). In 2007, Anser albifrons flavirostris was added to the list of Priority Species of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. |
| Ireland | Fully protected at all times by the Wildlife Act 1976 (as amended). European Communities (Wild Birds) (Greenland White-fronted Goose, Shoveler and Curlew) Regulations, 1992 (S.I. No. 228 of 1992) restricts the sale, transport for sale, keeping or offering for sale of Anser albifrons flavirostris. | Anser albifrons flavirostris is listed on the Amber List of Birds of Conservation Concern (BirdWatch Ireland & RSPB Northern Ireland, Gilbert et al. 2021). |
Boertmann, D. 2007. Rødliste 2007 over planter og dyr i Grønland. [2007 Red List of plants and animals in Greenland]. Direktoratet for Miljø og Natur, Grønlands Hjemmestyre, Nuuk.
Gilbert G, Stanbury A and Lewis L (2021), Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland 2020 –2026. Irish Birds 9: 523-544
Stanbury, A., Eaton, M., Aebischer, N., Balmer, D., Brown, A., Douse, A., Lindley, P., McCulloch, N., Noble, D., and Win I. 2021. The status of our bird populations: the fifth Birds of Conservation Concern in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man and second IUCN Red List assessment of extinction risk for Great Britain. British Birds 114: 723-747. Available online at https://britishbirds. co.uk/content/status-our-bird-populations.