| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
| White-fronted Goose | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Anser albifrons ( Scopoli, 1769) |
The White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) is a goose closely related to the smaller Lesser White-fronted Goose (A. erythropus). In North America it is known as the Greater White-fronted Goose.
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.
White-fronts 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.
The Greater Whitefront is divided into five races. The nominate race 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 CanadaCanada historically the Dominion of Canada is the second-largest, and northernmost, country in the world. It is a decentralized federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories, governed as a constitutional monarchy, and formed in 1867 through an act of Confe, it is replaced by the race frontalis, slightly larger and with a marginally longer bill, wintering in the U.S. and JapanJapan (, Nippon/Nihon literally "the origin of the sun") is a country in East Asia situated on a chain of islands east of the Asian continent on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. The largest of these islands are, from north to south, Hokkaido , Honsh.
Two other restricted-range races occur slightly further south in northern North AmericaNorth America is the third largest continent in area and the fourth ranked in population. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocea; race gambeli in interior northwest Canada, slightly larger still and wintering on the U.S. Gulf Coast, and race elgasi (Tule Goose) in southwest AlaskaOn January 3, 1959, Alaska was admitted to the United States as the 49th state. The population of the state is 626,932, as of 2000. The name "Alaska" is most likely derived from the Aleut word for "great country" or "mainland. The natives called it "Alyes, largest and longest-billed of all, wintering in CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The most populous and third largest state in the U. California is both physically and demographically diverse. The state's official nickname is "The Golden State", wh. All these races are similar in plumage, differing only in size.
Finally, the very distinct Greenland White-fronted Goose race flavirostris breeding in western GreenlandThis article is about Greenland, the island dependency of Denmark. For information about the town of Greenland, see Greenland, New Hampshire. Greenland ( Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat "The Land of the Greenlanders (Kalaallit)"; Danish: Gronland , an Arcti, 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 IrelandThe island of Ireland ire in Irish, Airlann in Ulster Scots) is the third-largest island in Europe. It lies on the west side of the Irish Sea, close to the island of Great Britain. It is composed of the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Irelan and Scotland.
Recent ecological studies suggest the Greenland form should probably be considered a separate species from albifrons. 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.
Anser