Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)

Other Names (World)
Greater White-fronted Goose, Whitefront, European White fronted Goose, Pacific White fronted Goose, Gambel White fronted Goose, Tule White fronted Goose, Tule Goose, Greenland White fronted Goose, Laughing Goose, White-faced Goose

Family
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, Swans)

Size
65 - 78 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Scopoli, 1769)

Habitat
Breeds on bog in the tundra. Overwinters on water meadows and near estuaries.

Range (Guide)

Albania (NB), Armenia (NB), Austria (NB) (P), Azerbaijan (NB), Belgium (NB), Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria (NB) (P), Canada (B) (P), China (mainland), Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (NB), Cuba, Cyprus (NB), Czech Republic (NB) (P), Denmark (NB) (P), Egypt, Faroe Islands, Finland (P), France (NB) (P), Germany (NB) (P), Greece (NB), Greenland (B) (P), Hungary (NB) (P), India, Iran [Islamic Republic of] (NB) (P), Iraq (NB), Ireland (NB), Israel, Italy (NB), Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (NB), Latvia (NB) (P), Lebanon, Luxembourg (NB), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (NB), Mexico, Montenegro (NB), Myanmar, Netherlands Antilles (NB), North Korea (NB) (P), Norway, Pakistan, Poland (NB) (P), Romania (NB) (P), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B) (P), Russia (European) (B) (NB) (P), Serbia (NB), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (NB) (P), Slovenia (NB), South Korea, Spain (NB), Sweden (NB) (P), Switzerland (NB), Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan (China), Turkey (NB), Turkmenistan, Ukraine (NB) (P), United Arab Emirates (NB), United Kingdom (NB), USA (B), Uzbekistan.

Vagrant to Afghanistan, Aruba, Jordan, Kuwait, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Netherlands Antilles, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, St Pierre and Miquelon (P), Sudan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Yemen.

Population
Estimated population is 2,600,000 - 3,100,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Grass, roots and other plant material.

Voice
Musical ringing, laughing and yodelling uttered by flocks. Hissing and yapping calls on the ground.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (68)...)

Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) [XC878146]
by Andr\u00e1s Schmidt from Tjele, Viborg Municipality, Central Denmark Region, Denmark (nocturnal flight call)

Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) [XC767155]
by from Ballymoney, Wexford, County Wexford, Ireland (flight call)

Nest
A depression on a hummock, lined with vegetation.

Eggs (Guide)
4 - 7; creamy-white, often stained. Incubation: 27 - 28 days; by female.

Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus).

The following 6 subspecies are recognised:

albifrons (Scopoli, 1769) - Northern Russia and Siberia from Kanin Peninsula to R Kolyma.
frontalis Baird, 1858 - Eastern Siberia from R Kolyma eastwards to Arctic Canada.
gambelli Hartlaub, 1852 - Breeds from interior and northern Alaska east across arctic Canada to the Hudson Bay region. Winters in the south central United States and in north-eastern Mexico.
elgasi Delacour & Ripley, 1975 - South-western Alaska. Validity of this subspecies is questioned.
flavirostris Dalgety & Scott, P, 1948 - Western Greenland.
sponsa Banks, 2011 - Breeds in western Alaska. Winters in California and western Mexico.

References
See References.

The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7

Files:

JPG files for Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) - 10 files

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