218 GAME BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA 



American White-fronted Goose 



A user alhifrons gamheli Hartlaub 



Other names — Speckle-breast; Speckle-belly; Checker-breast; Checker-belly; 

 Laughing Goose; Gray Goose, pai-t; Yellow-legs; Anser erythropus ; Anser 

 alhifrons; Anser gamheli; Bernicla gamheli. 



Description — Adults, hoth sexes: Head, neck and chest grayish brown; 

 blackish-bordered area at base of bill, extending one-half to one inch up the 

 forehead, and chin, white (in other words, a white border of varying width 

 completely surrounds base of bill); iris and eyelid brown; bill yellow or orange, 

 nail whitish; back dark brown, each feather tipped with ashy; rump slaty 

 brown; upper tail coverts white; tail slate brown tipped with white; outer 

 surface of closed wing slate gray; greater wing coverts tipped with white; 

 secondaries blackish; primaries dark slate; under surface of wing and axillars 

 slate gray; feathers of sides and flanks like back but with narrow white line 

 along upper margin; breast and belly grayish white with irregular patches 

 of dark brown or blackish, these varying greatly in extent from mere traces 

 to a condition where lower surface is almost wholly black; under tail coverts 

 white; under surface of tail feathers light slate color, tipped with white; 

 feet reddish yellow. Females average less in extent of black markings on 

 under surface. Total length (both sexes) 27.00-29.00 inches (685-786 mm.) 

 (five specimens). Males: folded wing 15.80-17.00 (402-432); bill along culmen 

 1.76-2.04 (44.6-51.7); tarsus 2.67-3.12 (67.8-79.3) (ten specimens). Females: 

 folded wing 15.20-16.40 (386-416); bill along culmen 1.73-1.97 (43.8-50.0); 

 tarsus 2.55-2.88 (64.7-73.0) (ten specimens); all from California. Juvenile 

 plumage: Similar to that of adults, but region around bill whollj' dark brown 

 like rest of head, instead of white; wing coverts more brownish; no black 

 blotches on under surface; nail of bill dusky. Natal plumage: Top of head and 

 back olive brown; forehead, sides of head, .hind-neck, chin, throat and whole 

 under surface greenish yellow, yellowest on belly; stripe from base of bill 

 through eye dusky; two yellowish spots on each side of back, one at hinder 

 border of wing and one at side of rump. 



Marks for field identification — Large size, Avhite forehead, black speckled 

 belly, reddish feet, light colored bill and general gray body color (pi. 6). 



Voice — -A loud, harsh wah, wall, wah, somewhat like the laugh of a man. 



Nest — On the ground, near water, often in wooded districts; made of grass 

 and feathers and lined with down. 



Eggs — 6 to 7, ovate to elongate ovate in shape, measuring in inches, 2.93 to 

 3.41 by 1.99 to 2.23 (in millimeters, 74.5 to 86.5 by 50.5 to 56.5), and averaging 

 3.21 by 2.13 (81.5 by 54.0) (thirty-two eggs in U. S. National Museum) ; color 

 dull white, with yellowish discolorations. 



General distribution — North America and eastern Asia. In North America 

 breeds on Bering Sea and Arctic coasts from mouth of the Yukon River, Alaska, 

 north and east to northeastern Mackenzie. Winters chiefly from southern 

 British Columbia to southern Lower California and Jalisco, Mexico; and less 

 commonly east of the Rocky Mountains from southern Illinois and New Jersey 

 south to northeastern Mexico, southern Texas, and Cuba (modified from A. O. 

 U. Check-list, 1910, p. 85). 



Distribution in California — Common winter visitant to suitable localities 

 throughout the state, on both the plains and swampy lowlan<ls; most abundant 



