Greater White-fronted Goose

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.

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. 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. These geese often migrate in large flocks at night, when they can be identified by their distinctive call. A group of geese has many collective nouns, including a "blizzard", "chevron", "knot", "plump", and a "string" of geese.