This form breeds just around Cook Inlet in Alaska, and numbers only about 7,500. It winters in the Sacramento Valley of California, where it meets the more widespread subspecies. The tule goose primarily uses marshes (often full of tule rushes) while the other form forages in open fields.
Where are white-fronted geese?
White-fronted geese migrate along the Pacific or Central Flyways and winter in California’s Central Valley, coastal and mid-continent Mexico and coastal Texas and Louisiana. Winter habitats include coastal marshes, wet meadows and freshwater marshes.
What is the nickname of the Greater White-Fronted Geese?
Even more distinctive are the salt-and-pepper markings on the breast of adult birds, which is why the goose is colloquially called the “specklebelly” in North America.
Is a spec a white-fronted goose?
Populations of greater white-fronted geese, commonly known as specs or speckle bellies, found in the Pacific Flyway have fluctuated for the past several decades.
Is a Specklebelly goose considered a light goose?
The greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) is a small brown goose named for the white feathers surrounding its bill. Because of the dappled black markings on its creamy light breast (kind of resembling a birch or aspen tree), it is often called the “specklebelly” by waterfowl hunters.
Are White-Fronted geese protected?
Conservation status
Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
Where do white-fronted geese winter?
Greater white-fronted geese breed across the high Arctic and winter in southern portions of the Pacific, Central, and Mississippi Flyways. Also known as specklebellies, or simply whitefronts, these birds migrate 6,000 miles or more between their breeding and wintering grounds each year.
What does a white-fronted goose look like?
Adults are mostly brown with white feathering around the base of a pinkish-orange bill. Black barring marks the belly and the undertail is white. In flight a white “U” at the base of the tail is visible. At rest, a thin white line stretches across their sides.
Are Green headed ducks males?
The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on their wings and belly, while the females (hens or ducks) have mainly brown-speckled plumage. … This species is the main ancestor of most breeds of domestic ducks.
How do I identify a goose?
With their long necks and legs, geese look like large ducks and are found in many of the same wetland habitats and backyard ponds. Their plumage comes in a variety of colors and, instead of quacking, they make a nasal honking sound.
What goose has an orange beak?
The greylag goose or graylag goose (Anser anser) is a species of large goose in the waterfowl family Anatidae and the type species of the genus Anser. It has mottled and barred grey and white plumage and an orange beak and pink legs.
What does a white goose eat?
Greater White-fronted Geese eat primarily sedges, grasses, berries, and plant tubers during the summer and seeds, grain, and grasses in the winter. They peck at vegetation and stems, plucking tubers, seeds, or grains from plants.
Is a Brant a goose?
The compact, rather short-necked Brant is an attractive small goose with a black head, white necklace, and rich brown body brightening to white under the tail. They winter in flocks in bays, estuaries, and lagoons, where they eat eelgrass and other aquatic vegetation.
What do white geese eat?
Some of their favorite foods include grasses, sedges, willows, rushes, and horsetails. Snow geese will eat all parts of a plant from seeds, leaves, and stems to tubers and roots. They graze for seeds and grain above the ground and also grub around and rip up plants by the roots.
Where does a Greenland Goose live?
The Greenland White-fronted Goose breeds in the low arctic coastal fringe of west Greenland, migrates through south and west Iceland in September and October and winters exclusively in Ireland and Britain.
Do pink footed geese migrate?
The pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) is a goose which breeds in eastern Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. It is migratory, wintering in northwest Europe, especially Ireland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and western Denmark.
Do greylag geese migrate?
Many Greylag Geese from eastern Sweden, Finland and east central Europe migrate south and winter in Italy, the Balkans and in North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia). … Moult migration in non-breeders involves movements from central Europe to the Baltic, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Is Specklebelly goose good eating?
A successful specklebelly hunt provides the makings for one of the most delectable wild game meals you’ve ever eaten. The meat is considered by many to be superior in taste to Canadas or snow geese.
What is the best goose for eating?
But of the geese, speckle-bellied and Canada geese are considered the best eating, though the snow goose is good too.
What is the difference between a dark goose and a light goose?
All of the dark geese have darker colored bodies that are gray, brown, and black. So essentially, if the goose is dark in color, it is a dark goose; if it is white in color, it is a light goose. … Light geese have an entirely white head, dark geese do not.
What is considered a dark goose?
Dark geese are Canada geese, white-fronted geese (also called specklebellies), and Brant. Geese have larger bodies than ducks and frequently fly in large flocks. Texas is divided into 2 zones, East and West for geese and there are specific light and dark geese seasons.
Can a greylag goose mate with a Canada goose?
A: The goose on the right appears to be some kind of hybrid, most likely a Canada goose (Branta canadensis) hybrid with a domestic greylag goose (Anser anser) which is the most common pairing with Canada geese.