The history of potato-eating by wildfowl in Britain

Abstract

T h e developm ent o f potato -eatin g a n d sw ede turn ip -eatin g b y wildfowl is linked to agricultural changes a n d clim atic conditions in B ritain.T h e tra d itio n o f tak in g w aste potatoes from harvested fields began in S cotland am ong M allard a t least a century ago.A few L ancashire P ink-footed G eese acquired th e h ab it a b o u t 30 years later, alth o u g h p o tato -eatin g did n o t bccom c w idespread until the 1920's.O n th e o th er h and, S cottish G reylag G eese an d som e W hooper Sw ans have selected a reg u lar d iet o f p o tato es fo r only 20-30 years.T urn ip -eatin g has been sporadic in bad w eather am o n g W hooper Swans in A berdeenshire and becam e trad itio n al after 1947 in the G reylag flocks on the Isle o f Bute.T h e techniques used by the birds in dealing w'ith roots are b riefly described.