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White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons   [Scopoli, 1769]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae
BTO Codes: WG , WHFGO EURING No: 1590
Number in Britain: 27 thousand birds (Winter)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: Not a species of concern
Global: Least Concern
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Status in UK: (A)  Winter Visitor
Subspecies: albifrons, flavirostris recorded in Britain (of 5 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 72 cm Wingspan: 148 cm Weight: M/F: 2.5 kg    
Scientific name from: L.: anser=a goose and L.: albus=white + frons=brow
World Distribution: BREEDS: n Russia, n North America & w Greenland, WINTERS: s Europe & India & c Mexico
Habitat: Tundra lakes, wet meadows on migration flooded fields & estuaries
Diet: Plant material, incl. roots, tubers, shoots, leaves
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)   
British Population Size:
    Winter: 27 thousand individuals in 1994-99
    First Record: 12th Century [Fossil evidence from Wolstonian (penultimate) glaciation, c. 150,000 yr ago]
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: 1700 to 2 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(II), WBD(I), Bern(III), Bonn(I, II), AEWA
Survey Results: BirdTrack
Wetland Bird Survey Alerts
Waterbird Review Series
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 79 x 53 mm Egg Weight: 125.0 g (of which 10 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 0
Clutch Size: 5 - 6 eggs
Incubation: 27 - 28 days by the: Female
Fledging: 40 - 43 days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Does not breed in Britain, or too few Nest Records
Number of Broods: 1

Number Ringed: 68
Adult Survival: 0.724 Juvenile Survival: 0.596 (in First-Year)
Age at First Breeding: 3 years Typical Lifespan: 6 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 18yr9m   (The Netherlands: 25yr 3m)
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Biometrics
Ring Size: K
Wing Length Adult: Insufficient Data.
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: Insufficient Data.
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
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Other Names
Greater White-fronted Goose
Gaelic: Gèadh-bhlàr Welsh: Gwydd Dalcen-wen
Danish: Blisgås Dutch: Kolgans
Finnish: Tundrahanhi French: Oie rieuse
German: Bläßgans Hungarian: Nagy lilik
Icelandic: Blesgæs Irish: Gé Bhánéadanach
Italian: Oca lombardella Norwegian: Tundragås
Polish: Ges bialoczelna Portuguese: Ganso-grande-de-testa-branca
Spanish: Ansar careto grande Swedish: Bläsgås
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Fox, A.D. & Stroud, D.A. 2002 BWP Update 4:65-88
   Kear, J 2005 Ducks, geese and swans Oxford University Press [598.48 KEA]
See Also:
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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BirdWeb logo, click to go to BirdWeb BirdFacts home | BTO Home
Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.22, Oct 2008). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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