Greater White-fronted Goose vs Lake Duck
Anser albifrons compared with Oxyura vittata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Greater White-fronted Goose | Lake Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anser albifrons | Oxyura vittata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 81.6 cm (32.1 in) | 27.6 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 2471.0 g (87.16 oz) | 665.0 g (23.46 oz) |
| Diet | Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material; diet shifts heavily toward invertebrates in breeding … | Dives for aquatic invertebrates and plant seeds in South American freshwater lakes and marshes. Feeds … |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | 3-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Greater White-fronted Goose only
Lake Duck only
None
Greater White-fronted Goose
Breeds on Arctic and subarctic tundra and peatlands. Winters on estuaries, agricultural fields, freshwater marshes, and flooded meadows across Europe, Asia, and North America. One of the most widespread geese.
Song & Call Comparison
Greater White-fronted Goose
A loud, laughing 'kow-lyuk' or musical 'wah-wah'. Gives a distinctive high-pitched yodeling quality lacking in Greylag. Highly vocal in large winter flocks.
Lake Duck
Male produces a mechanical, drumming staccato call; female gives a soft, nasal quack. Drumming display resembles other Oxyura stiff-tails; heard at dawn on Andean and Patagonian lakes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Greater White-fronted Goose
Breeds in the potholes region of the northern Great Plains; winters in the southern United States and along the Gulf Coast.
Lake Duck
Resident in southern South America from central Chile and central Argentina south to Tierra del Fuego. Found on lowland lakes and lagoons.
Conservation Status
Greater White-fronted Goose
Lake Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Greater White-fronted Goose
Brown-gray body with white forehead patch bordered by white band at bill base. Underparts with bold irregular black bars on belly. Orange bill; orange-yellow legs. Juveniles lack white front and …
Lake Duck
Male is dark chestnut-brown with black head, pale whitish-grey cheeks, and cobalt-blue bill. Female is brownish-buff with streaked upperparts and a distinctive pale supercilium; undertail coverts whitish.
About These Birds
Greater White-fronted Goose
A medium-large goose with a white forehead patch, orange bill, grey-brown plumage, and variable black barring on the belly. Widespread and numerous; one of the most abundant geese in the world. Breeds across the high Arctic; winters in a wide range of temperate wetland and agricultural habitats.
Lake Duck
A stiff-tailed duck (~665 g) of southern South America, family Anatidae, with males displaying ruddy plumage and a bright blue bill. Inhabits freshwater lakes, ponds, and marshes from Brazil to Patagonia. Dives for aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates. Least Concern; notable for the proportionally longest penis of any vertebrate relative to body size.