Greater White-fronted Goose vs Kelp Goose

Anser albifrons comparé à Chloephaga hybrida

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Greater White-fronted Goose Kelp Goose
Nom scientifique Anser albifrons Chloephaga hybrida
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 81,6 cm (32.1 in) 71,6 cm (28.2 in)
Poids 2471,0 g (87.16 oz) 2735,0 g (96.47 oz)
Régime alimentaire Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material; diet shifts heavily toward invertebrates in breeding … --
Taille de la couvée 3-9 3-7
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Greater White-fronted Goose only

Kelp Goose only

Aucun(e)

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.

Kelp Goose

Rocky wave-washed shores, sea channels, and kelp-fringed coasts of Patagonian Chile and Argentina south to Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands. Strictly coastal; almost never moves inland.

Song & Call Comparison

Greater White-fronted Goose

Chant

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.

Kelp Goose

Chant

A loud, nasal 'honk'. Male is mostly white and gives sharper calls; female is dark and gives softer, lower honks. Coastal Patagonian and Falklands habitat; highly vocal.

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.

Kelp Goose

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Greater White-fronted Goose

Least Concern

Kelp Goose

How to Tell Them Apart

Greater White-fronted Goose

Plumage

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 …

Kelp Goose

Plumage

Extreme dimorphism. Males entirely white with yellow bill and legs. Females dark brown barred white overall; yellow legs. Coastal species of rocky shores. Sexes so different they were once considered …

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.

Kelp Goose

A sheldgoose with stark sexual dimorphism: males are entirely white; females are dark brown with white belly and barred flanks. Found exclusively on rocky wave-washed shorelines where it feeds almost entirely on kelp and green algae. Endemic to Patagonian coastline and Falkland Islands.

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