Greater White-fronted Goose

Taxobox
name = Greater White-fronted Goose

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = European White-fronted Goose "Anser albifrons albifrons"
status = LC
status_ref = [IUCN2006|assessors=aut|BirdLife International|year=2004|id=47144|title=Anser albifrons|downloaded=11 May 2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern]
status_system = iucn3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
superordo = Galloanserae
ordo = Anseriformes
familia = Anatidae
subfamilia = Anserinae
genus = "Anser"
species = "A. albifrons"
binomial = "Anser albifrons"
binomial_authority = (Scopoli, 1769)
subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
subdivision =
* "A. a. albifrons" European White-fronted Goose
* "A. a. frontalis" Pacific White-fronted Goose
* "A. a. gambeli" Gambel's White-fronted Goose
* "A. a. elgasi" Tule Goose (disputed)
* "A. a. flavirostris" Greenland White-fronted Goose
synonyms ="Branta albifrons" Scopoli, 1769

The Greater White-fronted Goose ("Anser albifrons") is a goose species closely related to the smaller Lesser White-fronted Goose ("A. erythropus"). In Europe it has been known as simply "White-fronted Goose"; in North America it is known as the Greater White-fronted Goose (or "Greater Whitefront"), and this name is also increasingly adopted internationally [E.g. BirdLife International (2004)] . In Northern and Central North America, it is colloquially called "Specklebelly" due to the salt-and-pepper appearance of the underside.

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Description

Greater Whitefronts are 65-78 cm in length and have a 130-165 cm wingspan. They have bright orange legs and mouse-coloured upper wing-coverts. They are smaller than Greylag Geese. As well as being larger than the Lesser White-fronted Goose, the Greater Whitefront lacks the yellow eye-ring of that species, and the white facial blaze does not extend upwards so far as in Lesser.

Both white-fronted species have a very conspicuous white face and broad black bars which cross the belly, though the last two characters are occasionally observable to some extent in the Greylag Goose, which, however, has the bill and legs flesh-coloured, and pale bluish-grey upper wing-coverts.

ubspecies, distribution and status

The Greater White-fronted Goose is divided into five subspecies. The nominate subspecies "A. a. albifrons" breeds in the far north of Europe and Asia, and winters further south and west in Europe. In the far east of Siberia east to Arctic Canada, it is replaced by "A. a. frontalis", slightly larger and with a marginally longer bill, wintering in the United States and Japan.

Two other restricted-range races occur slightly further south in northern North America; "A. a. gambeli" in interior northwest Canada, slightly larger still and wintering on the U.S. Gulf Coast, and the doubtfully distinct (Carboneras, 1992) "A. a. elgasi" (Tule Goose) in southwest Alaska, largest and longest-billed of all, wintering in California. All these races are similar in plumage, differing only in size.

Finally, the very distinct Greenland White-fronted Goose "A. a. flavirostris" breeding in western Greenland, is much darker overall, with only a very narrow white tip to the tail (broader on the other races), more black barring on its belly, and usually has an orange (not pink) bill. It winters in Ireland and western Scotland.

Recent ecological studies suggest the Greenland birds should probably be considered a separate species from "A. albifrons" [Fox & Stroud (2002)] . Of particular interest is its unusually long period of parental care and association, which may last several years and can include grandparenting, possibly uniquely among the Anseriformes.

In the British Isles, two races overwinter: Greenland birds in Scotland and Ireland, and Russian birds in England and Wales. They gather on farmland at favoured traditional sites, with a famous flock gathering at WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, England.

"A. a. albifrons" and "A. a. flavirostis" are among the taxa to which the "Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds" (AEWA) applies. The Tule White-fronted Goose is very rare and has been since the latter half of the 19th century [Littlejohn (1916)] , presumably it was affected by destruction of its wintering habitat due to human settlement [Carboneras (1992): p.582] .

Footnotes

References

* (1992): Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans). "In:" aut|del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (eds.): "Handbook of Birds of the World" (Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks): 536-629, plates 40-50. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-10-5
* (2002): Greenland White-fronted Goose. "Birds of the Western Palearctic Update" 4(2): 65-88.
* (1916): Some unusual records for San Mateo County, California. Abstract in: aut|Cooper Club: Minutes of Cooper Club Meetings. "Condor" 18(1): 38-40. [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/issues/v018n01/p0038-p0040.pdf PDF fulltext] [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/DJVU/v018n01/P0038-P0040.djvu DjVu fulltext]

External links

*RSPB: [http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/w/whitefrontedgoose/index.asp White-fronted goose]
* [http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Greater_White-fronted_Goose.html White-fronted Goose] - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
* [http://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/greater_white_fronted_goose_info.htm White-fronted Goose Information and Photos] - South Dakota Birds and Birding
* [http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i1710id.html White-fronted Goose] - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=423 Greater White-fronted Goose videos] on the Internet Bird Collection