lough leane, and the other lakes to a lesser extent, support wintering birds that travel south from higher latitudes. these species include redwing, fieldfare, golden plover and waterfowl such as teal, goldeneye, wigeon, pochard and whooper swan. the park's native bird populations are augmented by migrant species in both winter and summer. a small flock of greenland white-fronted geese ("anser albifrons flavirostris") from the world population of approximately 12,000 migrates to winter on boglands in the killarney valley within the park. the numbers of this bird that stay in the park are currently low, at less than twenty individuals. this population is important because it is the most southerly in ireland and one of the few remaining populations remaining that feed entirely on bogland, and whose habitat almost entirely lies within a protected area.