The Greylag Goose nests near water, in reed beds, on islands and in vegetation close to the shore. The nest is a shallow scrape lined with plant material and down. The female usually lays 4–8 eggs, which she incubates for about four weeks while the male keeps watch nearby. The young are nidifugous and follow the parents to grazing grounds shortly after hatching, and the family stays together through its first autumn.