Swan goose  (Anser cygnoides)

Habitat loss, particularly at breeding sites, is one of the major causes of the documented decline in populations of the swan goose. Wetlands are highly vulnerable ecosystems that are often threatened by development and pollution (2). Hunting also poses a threat to survival, as does the collection of eggs that occurs in some areas of China. Indeed, egg collection and habitat destruction have resulted in a 90 percent decrease in the number of swans and geese that breed in the Sanjiang Plain in China over the last 30 years (2). The breeding population of swan geese in Mongolia is particularly threatened by fire, drought, and overgrazing (5).

The swan goose is protected by law in Russia, Mongolia, South Korea and some Chinese provinces (2), and is also included on Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) (3). The breeding and moulting sites of the swan goose in central and eastern Mongolia are located within protected areas (5). A Swan Goose Conservation Programme has been established in collaboration with the Russian Goose and Swan Study Group (RGSSG) and the Japanese Association for Wild Geese Protection (JAWGP), which is involved in coordinating research and conservation programmes involving this species (6).