At Ellis Creek we spotted a gray goose swimming with some somewhat larger Canada Geese. The white feathering where the bill joins the face is the basis for the name "White-fronted". This white-front feature is seen in other birds, such as the female Scaups and White-front Ibis. The Greater White-fronted Goose has an extensive range in the Eurasia and Western North America. They breed in tundra areas (many of ours going to Alaska), are long-lived, form stable pair bonds and even family units spanning one or more generations, and the young flying south with the parents for the winter.
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| Greater White-fronted Goose - adult - Ellis Creek, Petaluma, CA |
In California we see large numbers of Greater White-front Geese in the Central Valley where they can easily be seen on ponds at many refuges. Most are the subspecies A. a. frontalis, sometimes called the Pacific White-fronted Goose. In the Valley there is also a small population of a larger subspecies, A. a. elgasi, the Tule Goose. Other subspecies are seen in Eurasia.
Note the pink bill with a peach tip, and orange feet. The barring of the breast and underparts led the hunters to call it the "Specklebelly", a goose they prize for the table.
Brief taxonomy: There are 6 species in the genus Anser. As you might guess, there is a Lesser White Fronted Goose, as well the large Swan Goose (some of them introduced here), plus Bean, Pink-footed, and Graylag Geese (often domesticated).
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