The White-fronted Geese 



No. 374 



White-fronted Goose 



A. O. U. No. 171. Anser albifrons albifrons (Scopoli). 



Synonyms. — Laughing Goose. Gray Brant. Speckled Brant. Speckle- 

 belly. 



Description. — Adult: Forehead and region about the base of bill white, — - 

 the latter narrowly, and bordered immediately by dusky; remainder of head and neck 

 all around warm grayish brown; the same color continued on back, fore-breast, and 

 sides, but varied by lighter brownish gray tips of squarish-ended feathers, thus pre- 

 senting a curious shingled appearance; underparts fading from grayish brown of 

 breast to pure white posteriorly; the breast and belly irregularly spotted or heavily 

 blotched with sooty black; the primaries grayish at base, blackening distally and with 

 shafts mostly white; the tips of the greater coverts white, and the superior edges of 

 the main course of side feathers (overlapping folded wing) also white; upper and lower 

 tail-coverts, and lower belly well up on flank, and sides under folded wing, white; 

 axillars and lining of wing uniform dusk}-; tail brownish dusky increasingly white- 

 tipped on lateral feathers. Bill orange-yellow with white nail; feet orange or reddish. 

 Immature: "Similar to adult, but forepart of head dusky instead of white; lower 

 parts without black markings, and nail of bill dusky" (Ridgw.). Length about 685.8 

 (27.00); wing 384-4 22 (15-1-16.6) ; bill 44-52 (1.73-2.047); tarsus 69.85 (2.75). 



Recognition Marks. — Brant size; speckled or "shingled" (black-blotched) 

 belly; grayish brown coloration; white partial mask of face. As distinguished from 

 A. a. gambeli: "Size small; bill small; tail-feathers sixteen; coloration in general paler, 

 head and neck grayish; naked skin at edge of eyelid, grayish brown" (Swarth-Bryant). 



Nesting. — Does not breed in California. Nest: On the ground, of dried grass 

 or tundra moss, feathers, and down. Eggs: 4 to 7; dull white, "weathering" and 

 staining to dull greenish yellow, with obscure darker tints. Av. size 81.3 x 53.3 (3.20 x 

 2.10). Season: Late May-June 15. 



Range of Anser albifrons. — Northern portion of Northern Hemisphere, south 

 in winter to California, Mexico, Cuba, Egypt, northern India, and China. 



Range of A. a. albifrons. — Breeds in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the Old 

 World, and in America from the islands of Bering Sea and Alaska east at least to 

 Mackenzie; winters (in America) from British Columbia to Lower California and 

 west central Mexico; also variously throughout the Eastern States from southern 

 Illinois and New Jersey south to Cuba and northeastern Mexico. 



Distribution in California. — Fairly common winter resident and migrant in 

 suitable localities throughout the State, but especially in the Sacramento-San Joaquin 

 Valley. 



Authorities. — Gambel {Anser erythropus), Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ser. 2, 

 i., 1849, p. 225 (Calif.) ;Belding, Zoe, vol. iii., 1892, p. 98 (occurrence in Calif.; dates of 

 arrival and departure, etc.); Swarth and Bryant, Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., vol. xvii., 

 1917, p. 209, pi., figs. (crit. ; desc, meas., etc.). 



CALIFORNIA has always been noted for the number of geese that 

 winter within its great interior valleys. In the early days, it was necessary 



1853 



