The white-fronted goose, also known as the greater white-fronted goose to distinguish it from the lesser white-fronted goose, is a medium-sized, stocky, goose. There are 5 subspecies, 2 of which visit the UK, while the other 3 occur in North America. The nominate species (A. a. albifrons) breeds in the far north of Europe and Asia and winters in England and Wales while A. a. flavirostris breeds in Greenland and winters in Scotland and Ireland. The window for breeding and raising chicks is very narrow in the Arctic and adverse weather conditions such as a delayed snow melt can significantly reduce the white-fronted goose’s reproductive success.
UK wintering birds: 2,400 birds from Europe and 13,000 birds from Greenland
Family: Ducks, geese & swans
White-fronted geese have a grey-brown back and white rump. On the underparts the lower breast is grey-brown with black bars and flecks, the upper breast and flanks are grey-brown, and the belly and undertail coverts are white. The tail is black with a white terminal band.
The head and foreneck are grey-brown and there is a distinctive white patch around the base of the bill, surrounded by an indistinct black band. The bill is pink with a yellowish base, the eyes are dark brown, and the legs and webbed feet are orange. Some males may have a faint yellow eye-ring. Male and female white-fronted geese are similar but the male is larger.
Juveniles have no white patch on the face and no dark marks on the underparts. The bill is duller and has a black nail, and the eyes are paler.
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White-fronted geese start breeding in late May or early June and produce 1 brood a season. The nest in loose groups or solitary pairs on tundra, and near lakes and wet meadows. The nest is a shallow depression on the ground hidden amongst vegetation, grass, shrubs, or sedge placed near water. It is sparsely lined with down and feathers.
White-fronted geese lay 5-6 white eggs which are incubated by the female alone for 22-27 days, while the male stays nearby to guard the nest. Chicks are precocial and can walk and swim soon after hatching. They feed themselves and fly at 38-45 days but remain with the family group for a year and often stay near them for several more years. They are sexually mature at 3 years.
White-fronted geese feed mainly on plant matter including grass, grain, and berries. During breeding season they will also take invertebrates such as molluscs, crustaceans, aquatic insects, and worms.
White-fronted geese arrive in the UK in October and leave again in April. Siberian birds can be found in southern England, while Greenland birds are found in West Scotland. Look out for them in estuaries and flooded fields.
In North American the white-fronted goose is known as ‘specklebelly’ due to the salt and pepper appearance on their underparts.
