Greater White-fronted Goose vs Ross's Goose

Anser albifrons comparado con Anser rossii

Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Greater White-fronted Goose Ross's Goose
Nombre científico Anser albifrons Anser rossii
Orden Anseriformes Anseriformes
Familia Anatidae Anatidae
Estado de conservación Least Concern Least Concern
Longitud
Envergadura 81,6 cm (32.1 in) 69,2 cm (27.2 in)
Peso 2471,0 g (87.16 oz) 1513,5 g (53.39 oz)
Dieta Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material; diet shifts heavily toward invertebrates in breeding … Eats aquatic plants, seeds, and grasses near wetlands; omnivorous in breeding; takes invertebrates in shallow …
Tamaño de la puesta 3-9 2-8
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Hábitats compartidos

Greater White-fronted Goose only

Ross's Goose only

Ninguno

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.

Ross's Goose

Breeds on tundra near Hudson Bay and the central Canadian Arctic. Winters in agricultural fields, rice paddies, and wetlands in the central and southern United States, particularly California's Central Valley.

Song & Call Comparison

Greater White-fronted Goose

Canto

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.

Ross's Goose

Canto

A high, nasal yelping 'whoik' or 'hoik' — higher-pitched than Snow Goose. Flocks mix with Snow Geese; calls differ noticeably by pitch. Fast, repeated notes in flight.

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.

Ross's Goose

Breeds in high Arctic tundra; winters at sea in the North Atlantic from Iceland to the British Isles and northeastern United States.

Estado de conservación

Least Concern

Greater White-fronted Goose

Least Concern

Ross's Goose

How to Tell Them Apart

Greater White-fronted Goose

Plumaje

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 …

Ross's Goose

Plumaje

Smallest white North American goose; pure white plumage with black wingtips. Short triangular pink bill with warty pinkish-gray base. Pink-red legs. Occasional blue morph. Sexes similar.

About These Birds

Greater White-fronted Goose

El ánsar careto o ganso careto mayor es un ganso mediano de color pardo con una llamativa mancha blanca en la frente y barras negras en el vientre. Tiene un amplio rango de cría en la tundra ártica del hemisferio norte y migra a zonas templadas de Europa, Asia y América del Norte para pasar el invierno, donde a menudo se reúne en grandes bandadas en campos agrícolas.

Ross's Goose

El ganso de Ross es el menor ganso blanco americano, similar al ganso de las nieves pero más pequeño, con el pico más corto y sin el galpón negro en la mandíbula. Cría en la tundra ártica del norte de Canadá y migra al sur de California y el golfo de México para pasar el invierno. La caza casi lo extinguió a principios del siglo XX, pero sus poblaciones se han recuperado.

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