Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
lesser white-fronted goose
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Anser erythropus
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How to recognize it
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53–66 cm, clearly smaller than a greater white-fronted goose
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Large white forehead patch, reaching almost to the crown
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Short bill, bright orange legs
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Flight call a high-pitched "pee-oo"
About the species
Lesser white-fronted goose keeps to the same general shape as the larger white-fronted goose, but it is smaller and usually gives itself away by a clear white face and an obvious yellow eye-ring. In flight, it calls with a thin squeak, which is how it got its English name.
It feeds mostly on plant matter and moves between open feeding areas and water. In the north it takes horsetails, cotton grass, sedges, and some grasses, while on wintering grounds it grazes on fields and eats alfalfa and oats.
It breeds in the far north of Eurasia, in tundra-edge, taiga, and forest-tundra country, often near large rivers, lakes, small streams, or lake islands. It winters farther south in Europe and Asia, and in some places follows migration routes that pass through Hungary on the way between breeding and wintering areas.
Where to find
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Along broad river floodplains and lake edges—especially where bushes meet wet meadows, lesser white-fronted goose gives itself away by a thin call in flight and grazing on the grass.
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On small islands and wide mudflats of water bodies, it often stays in a flock and feeds on reedless grassy strips close to the shore.
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In winter on fields near the city—especially if ditches or damp hollows are nearby—it shows up while quietly picking at grass and cereal stubble.
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By streambanks and canal edges with thickets along the shore, it may lift off low over the water with a sharp, high-pitched call.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Anser erythropus Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Lesser white-fronted goose Encyclopedia article