- Anser albifrons
Identification
Adult: white front that most often does not continue up onto the crown and black bars on the belly are not found on the immature bird.
The Greenland subspecies (Greenland White-fronted Goose, flavirostris) is distinctive in that the bill is yellow-orange, where albifrons for example has a flesh-colored bill.
Similar Species
Lesser White-fronted Goose is the main contender, though immature birds may be mistaken for a number of other species.
Distribution
Has an almost circumpolar breeding distribution, from northern Russia through Siberia, Alaska, and Canada to Greenland.
In winter it migrates south but in some cases at the same time strongly east or west of due south; for example the Greenland subspecies winters mainly in Ireland. Other populations come south to western and southern Europe, India, China, and Mexico.
Taxonomy
Five subspecies are recognized[1]:
- A. a. albifrons: Eurasian
- Northern Russia and Siberia; winters to Mediterranean and northern India
- A. a. flavirostris: Greenland
- A. a. gambelli:
- A. a. frontalis:
- A. a. elgasi: Tule
- Taiga south of Alaskan tundra; winters Sacramento Valley
Habitat
They breed in areas of open tundra, near bogs and marshes. In winter they use lakes and rivers, usually near coasts.
Behaviour
Diet
Almost entirely herbivorous. They eat a wide variety of plant matter from roots through stems, seeds berries and also potatoes and grain.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Anser albifrons (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved September 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Greater White-fronted Goose. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Greater_White-fronted_Goose
