Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifronsOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Codes: Common Name: GWFG Scientific Name: ANSALB ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175020

Related Birds

Canada Goose
Brant
Emperor Goose
Ross's Goose
Snow Goose
Barnacle Goose
Bean Goose
Pink-footed Goose

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Overview

Greater White-fronted Goose: Medium goose with dark-brown body. Underparts are barred and flecked with black; belly and undertail coverts are conspicuously white. Front of face has a white patch. Bill is usually pink. Legs are orange. Steady direct flight with rapid wing beats. Flies in V formation.

Range and Habitat

Greater White-fronted Goose: Breeds in Alaska, far-northern Canada, and Greenland. Spends winters from coastal British Columbia to California, in New Mexico, and along the Gulf coast in Texas and Louisiana; more rarely on the east coast and in the interior. Breeds on marshy tundra; winters on marshes and bays.

Topo Map: Duck-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kah-lah-aluek", " wah-wah-wah"

Interesting Facts

The Greater White-fronted Goose has one of the largest ranges of any species of goose in the world. In North America, however, it is common only west of the Mississippi River.

These geese often migrate in large flocks at night, when they can be identified by their distinctive call.

The "Tule Goose" of the West Coast is considered a subspecies; its breeding grounds were unknown until 1979, when birds were found nesting near Anchorage, Alaska.

A group of geese has many collective nouns, including a "blizzard", "chevron", "knot", "plump", and a "string" of geese.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Range Map for Greater White-fronted Goose

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Greater White-fronted Goose

● Song: "kah-lah-aluek", " wah-wah-wah"

● Foraging & Feeding: Greater White-fronted Goose: Feeds mostly on grass, sedges, aquatic plants, berries, and grains; occasionally eats insects and mollusks.

● Breeding & nesting: Greater White-fronted Goose: Three to six buff, creamy white, or light pink eggs are laid in a down-lined grassy depression on tundra. Incubation ranges from 22 to 28 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Greater White-fronted Goose: Other geese lack irregular black spots on bellies and white patch at base of bills. Juvenile (which lacks these marks) has yellow bill, legs, and feet, distinguishing it from juvenile blue phase Snow Geese, which has dark bill, legs, and feet.

Flight Pattern

Steady direct flight with rapid wing beats.

Greater White-fronted Goose Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Greater White-fronted Goose: Breeds in Alaska, far-northern Canada, and Greenland. Spends winters from coastal British Columbia to California, in New Mexico, and along the Gulf coast in Texas and Louisiana; more rarely on the east coast and in the interior. Breeds on marshy tundra; winters on marshes and bays.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationCommon to fairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight96 Ounces

Duck-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Undertail coverts

Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America