The White-fronted Geese 



this call by patting the mouth. The species is sometimes called "laughing 



goose," in part, perhaps, on account of its grinning expression, but also no 



doubt because these "wah wah wah" notes are thought to resemble human 



laughter. The speckle -bellies call 



much less often than white geese and 



they are sometimes recognized by 



their silence. In flight, calls 



seem to be restricted to 



a few ''peer wekes" by 



the leader. 



Of the two varieties 

 of white-fronted goose, 

 the "speckle-belly" — 

 ''gray-goose'' or 



"checker-breast Of the Taken in San Francisco Photo by W. K. Fisher 



hunter— is the smaller white-fronted geese 



. . WING-TIPPED BIRDS IN GOLDEN GATE PARK 



and most common in 



California. A giant form rarely seen is called the Tule Goose. Although 

 found throughout central and western North America and northeastern 

 Asia in winter, the breeding grounds are restricted to the Arctic coast from 

 northeastern Siberia east to northeastern Mackenzie and south to the 

 lower Yukon valley. 



The white-fronted goose is widely distributed over the state during 

 the winter season, even frequenting some of the islands in the Santa Bar- 

 bara Channel, but it is most numerous on the open plains and in the exten- 

 sive marshes of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin valleys. There is 

 considerable fluctuation in numbers from year to year, however. Of the 

 many varieties wintering in California, this goose is usually first to arrive 

 in the fall and the last to leave in the spring. Eagerly they seem to take 

 possession of these great bountiful valleys, and loth are they to leave them 

 for colder climes. It has even been recorded as early as September 7 and 

 as late as May 3. Newspaper articles predicting an early winter because 

 of the arrival of northern migrants are usually based on the early arrival 

 of this goose. 



During the middle of the day white-fronted geese usually loaf on 

 some body of water, or stretch of marsh, feeding early in the morning, in 

 the evening, or during the night. The flights from the loafing grounds to 

 the feeding grounds are oftentimes very regular, the time of arrival and 

 departure not varying more than fifteen minutes. During periods of 

 stormy weather, these geese often fly over in large flocks, apparently with 

 no definite object in view other than change of feeding ground. 



The food of the white-fronted goose is made up almost entirely of 



1855 



