Greater White-fronted Goose vs Muscovy Duck

Anser albifrons comparé à Cairina moschata

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Greater White-fronted Goose Muscovy Duck
Nom scientifique Anser albifrons Cairina moschata
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 81,6 cm (32.1 in) 69,0 cm (27.2 in)
Poids 2471,0 g (87.16 oz) 2140,0 g (75.49 oz)
Régime alimentaire Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material; diet shifts heavily toward invertebrates in breeding … --
Taille de la couvée 3-9 8-15
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Greater White-fronted Goose only

Muscovy Duck 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.

Muscovy Duck

Tropical and subtropical lowland forest near rivers, lakes, mangroves, and wetlands from Mexico through Central America to Peru, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Common near forest-edge water. Feral populations worldwide.

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.

Muscovy Duck

Chant

Males are nearly silent; females give a raspy, low 'grrrr' hiss when threatened. Domesticated birds familiar worldwide but wild birds are surprisingly quiet and secretive.

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.

Muscovy Duck

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Greater White-fronted Goose

Least Concern

Muscovy Duck

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 …

Muscovy Duck

Plumage

Glossy black plumage with large white wing patches. Bare red facial skin with warty caruncles, more extensive in males. Males larger; females less knobby-faced. Dark bill. Domestic forms vary widely …

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.

Muscovy Duck

A large powerfully built duck with black-and-white plumage, bare red caruncles on the face of males, and strong claws for perching in trees. Native from Mexico to Peru and Uruguay. Widely domesticated worldwide; feral populations on every continent. The ancestor of domestic Muscovy ducks.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family