Conservation of the Greater White-fronted Goose

By: Doty McQuerry

Taxonomy

• Kingdom: Animalia• Phylum: Chordata• Class: Aves• Order: Anseriformes• Family: Anatidae• Genus: Anser• Species: albifrons

– Anser albifrons

Other Common Names

• White-fronted Goose• Specklebelly Goose• Speck• Specklebelly Brant• Laughing Goose• Harlequin Brant• Gray Brant• Pied Brant• Prairie Brant• Spectacled Brant• Yellow Legged Goose• Timber Goose• Gray Wavey

Physical Description

• Base of bill and forehead are white• Gray-brown body• Black speckles on belly• Orange legs and feet• Pinkish to orange bill• White flanks, rump, and undertail• Dark tail has white tip• Dark eyes• Thin white stripe along side• Feathers on back are dark with tan tips

Size

• Medium-sized goose– Length: 64-81 cm (25-32 inches)– Wingspan: 135 cm (53 inches)– Weight: 68.87-116.88 ounces (4.30-7.31

pounds)

Sex Differences

• Males and females look alike, with male only slightly larger

Adult versus Immature

• Immature geese– Slightly smaller– Lighter color– Lacking white forehead coloring– Lacking black belly marks– Light pinkish bill– Yellow-orange legs and feet

Subspecies

• Four subspecies recognized by American Ornithologist’s Union– Eurasian White-fronted Goose– Greenland White-fronted Goose– Pacific White-fronted Goose– Tule White-fronted Goose

Habitat

• Prefers aquatic habitat– Freshwater coastal marsh swamps and

pools

• Breeds – tundra wetlands

• Winters – marshes, bays, lakes, agricultural fields

Diet

• They eat corn, barley, rice, wheat, sorghum, grasses, herbs, sedges, bulrushes, acorns, berries, insects, and mollusks.

Breeding

• Courting ceremony– Calling – both sexes– Head dipping– Neck forward– Fluttering of neck feathers

• Mates from May to June

• Monogamous pair bonds at 2 years old and breed at 3 years old

Nesting and Young

• Nest in shallow depression on ground• Nest lined with feathers, grass, and down• Clutch size of 1 – 8 white/tan eggs• Female sits on eggs for 3 ½ weeks• Male stands guard• Young at hatching:

– covered in down– eyes open– led to water within 24 hours – can swim and feed

Range

• Summers – breeds in Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland

• Winters – coastal British Columbia to California, in New Mexico, Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana; rare on east coast or the interior U.S.

Range Map

Major Threats

• Over-harvesting

• Predators (eat eggs): foxes, jaegers, and gulls

• Flooding of nests

• Aircraft disturbance

Populations and Management

• Global status: Common• Populations increasing• Pacific population declined in 1970’s and

1980’s due to heavy harvesting, but has been recovering

• Tule subspecies – Vulnerable– Low population size– Restricted distribution

• Greenland subspecies – Vulnerable– Over-harvesting

The End

• Any Questions?