# Greater White-fronted Goose (*Anser albifrons*) The Greater White-fronted Goose is a big bird with a lovely white patch on its face. It loves to swim in lakes and rivers and can often be seen flying in a V shape with its friends. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Greater White-fronted Goose](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Anser_albifrons_albifrons_Swallow_Pond_2.jpg&width=800) Photo: MPF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anser_albifrons_albifrons_Swallow_Pond_2.jpg) ## Appearance The Greater White-fronted Goose has a greyish-brown body with distinctive black bars and splotches on its belly. Adults feature a striking white patch at the base of their pink-orange bill, which makes them visually different from similar geese. Its head and neck are darker than its body. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Anser ## Interesting facts - Baby geese, called goslings, can walk and feed themselves within a day of hatching! - Some Greater White-fronted Geese have been recorded living for over 20 years! - The distinctive white patch on their face only appears when they become adults! - They often choose a mate for life and stay together for many, many years! ## Special abilities - **Keen Forager:** Greater White-fronted Geese can find tasty plants and seeds because of their strong bills that help them graze and dig effectively. - **Feathered Navigator:** Greater White-fronted Geese can find their way across vast distances because they have an amazing sense of direction that helps them migrate accurately. - **Social Communicator:** Greater White-fronted Geese have a diverse range of honks and calls that helps them stay connected and warn each other of danger. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 65-80 cm - **Wingspan:** 130-165 cm - **Weight:** 1.9-3.4 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-6 - **Incubation:** 22-27 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding These geese are plant-eaters, enjoying various greens and seeds they find in fields and wetlands. - **Primary Foods:** grasses, sedges, berries, grains, roots, aquatic plants - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — preys on eggs and young goslings in nesting areas. - **Eats:** [Kentucky bluegrass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kentucky-bluegrass) (*Poa pratensis*) — grazes on fresh grass shoots and leaves in fields. - **Eaten by:** [Golden Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-eagle) (*Aquila chrysaetos*) — hunts goslings and sometimes adults during migration. - **Eats:** [Wheat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wheat) (*Triticum aestivum*) — forages in agricultural fields for fallen grains and sprouts. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always watch geese from a distance and don't feed them, as they can be protective of their space. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Greater White-fronted Goose? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Greater White-fronted Goose? 65-80 cm ### What is Greater White-fronted Goose's wingspan? 130-165 cm ### How much does Greater White-fronted Goose weigh? 1.9-3.4 kg ### How long does Greater White-fronted Goose live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Greater White-fronted Goose move? 70 km/h ### What does Greater White-fronted Goose eat? These geese are plant-eaters, enjoying various greens and seeds they find in fields and wetlands. ### Where is Greater White-fronted Goose usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Bellefontaine Cemetery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellefontaine-cemetery) — Missouri, US · Botanical Garden - [Crapo Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crapo-park) — Iowa, US · Botanical Garden - [High Trestle Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/high-trestle-trail) — Iowa, US · Trail - [Louisiana Purchase State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/louisiana-purchase-state-park) — Arkansas, US · State Park - [Fort Duncan](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-duncan) — US · Historic Site - [Greene–Sullivan State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/greene-sullivan-state-forest) — Indiana, US · Forest [View all places to see Greater White-fronted Goose](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/greater-white-fronted-goose) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Greater White-fronted Goose: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/greater-white-fronted-goose)