White-fronted goose due to its large size and excellent taste of meat coveted trophy hunters.
These geese nest only in the tundra from the Kanin Peninsula and the Islands of Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka.
Distinctive signs. White-fronted goose a few less grey goose. Has a more dark upper body, white forehead and white tips of tail feathers, a bright black light grey streaks on the abdomen. The short bill is orange-yellow color with a white claw, legs of the same color.
In autumn males weigh of 2.5-3.3 kg; females 2-3 kg. Flight easier and smoother than grey goose.
Lifestyle and habits. A very sociable bird (except during breeding). Spring migration makes large flocks (up to 100-200 individuals), usually at night and at high altitude, at least in the morning. Autumn often flies during the day. In flight birds are constantly rebuilt and screaming.
Later in the spring flies grey goose. In the Delta of the Danube river and Azov swamps advanced pack appear in mid-March. In the early and mid-April, flying to the North coast of the Caspian sea and the Aral sea. Net migration in the Moscow region (the Oka river) and in Northern Kazakhstan from the third decade of April to mid-may.
In early may arrives in Timanskaya tundra. In mid-may observed on Novaya Zemlya, Yamal, near Yakutsk and Okhotsk, at the end of may – on the Taimyr Peninsula and Chukotka. Arrives in the tundra often in the winter. Flocks of immature unmarried geese fly into the tundra later, in mid-June. Here they are going to moult the wing, which starts from the end of July. During spring migration in areas rich in food, makes long-term (10-20 days) stop to feed. They are known in the European Union: Manych, Oka, Vyatka, etc. Especially a lot of white-fronted geese stop in the spring in North-Western Kazakhstan in the East forest-steppe of Western Siberia. The geese arrive in the tundra very well-nourished and even fat, which is characteristic of almost all waterfowl that nest in the far North.
10-15 days after arrival pairs, the goose lays 3 to 7, usually 5, white with pale yellow tint of the eggs, weighing about 100-200 g of a Nest build on the ground, on the banks of rivers, lakes and swamps.
Female incubates for 26 to 28 days; the male at this time kept near the nest.
Young geese are raised on the wing in mid-August. By the end of August, all old and young geese perelinkovat and gather in large flocks, preparing for departure to the South.
Taymyr Peninsula and Gdanskiego fly in early September. In the second half of September in the mass appear in the South of Western Siberia and in Northern Kazakhstan. Autumn also make long stops (20-25 days) for feeding, but not where in the spring. In the Urals the place of autumn concentrations of greater white-fronted goose known on the lake Chelkar near Uralsk, on the many lakes in the Kustanay region (lake Tenisson, Sary-Kopa lake Naurzumskyi, Tyuntyugur, etc.), on lake Kurgaldzhin in Tselinograd region. In these lakes, geese are kept by the thousands until the end of October.
Fly to feed on the millet and wheat fields, sometimes over 75 km In September, when hot weather, daily schedule flights of geese has features. Fly from lake at sunrise, the geese return to the water hole at noon and spectacular dive from a great height into the middle of the lake. The bird then after 2-3 hours of rest to fly again, shouting on the field and go back to bed in the deep darkness. Later in October, when markedly colder, the geese don’t drink water in the afternoon and returned to the lake late in the evening.
Winters from England and the Mediterranean sea East to southern China and Japan. We have winters in considerable quantity on the black sea coast and southern Caspian.
White-fronted geese are mainly terrestrial birds and water, as a rule, only come to drink.
They almost always kept on land, walk well, run fast, swim well, and in case of danger and dive.
White-fronted goose thanks to its considerable strength and excellent taste of meat, the coveted trophy of hunters.
These geese Nest only in the tundra – from the peninsula of Kanin and the islands of Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka.
Features. The white-fronted goose is slightly smaller than the gray goose. It is distinguished by a darker top of the body, a white forehead and white tops of the helmsmen, bright black pestrinami on the light-colored abdomen. A short beak of orange-yellow color with a white claw, legs of the same color.
In autumn, males weigh 2.5-3.3 kg, females 2-3 kg. The flight is more light and smooth than the gray goose.
Lifestyle and habits. Very sociable bird (except the breeding season). Spring migration occurs in large flocks (up to 100-200 individuals), usually at night and at high altitude, less often in the morning. In the autumn quite often also flies in the afternoon. In flight, the birds continuously rebuild and scream.
In the spring flies later than the gray goose. In the delta of the Danube and in the Azov floods, advance flocks appear in mid-March. At the beginning and middle of April, it flies to the north of the Caspian coast and the Aral Sea. Gross span in the Moscow region (the river Oka) and in Northern Kazakhstan from the third decade of April to the middle of May.
In the first decade of May, arrives in the Timan tundra. In mid-May it is observed on Novaya Zemlya, on Yamal, near Yakutsk and Okhotsk, at the end of May – on Taimyr and Chukotka. Arrives in the tundra often in the winter. Immature idle Flocks of geese arrive in the tundra later, in the middle of June. Here they are going to moult the wing, which begins with the end of July. During the spring migration period in places rich in feeds, it makes a long (10-20 days) stop for feeding. Such places are known in the European part of the Union: Manych, Oka, Vyatka, etc. Especially many white-fronted geese stop in the spring in Northwest Kazakhstan and in the lacustrine forest-steppe of Western Siberia. Geese arrive in the tundra quite well-nourished and even greasy, which is typical of almost all waterfowl nesting in the High North.
10-15 days after arrival in pairs, the goose lays 3 to 7, more often A-5 white with a pale shade of eggs, weighing about 100-200 g. Nests are built on the ground, along the banks of rivers, lakes and marshes.
Nasizhivaet female of 26 to 28 days; At this time the male keeps close to the nest.
Young geese rise on the wing in mid-August. By the end of August, all the old and young geese are perliniruyut and gather in large schools, preparing to fly to the south.
From Taimyr peninsula and Gdańsk fly away in early September. In the second half of September, they appear in mass in the south of Western Siberia and in Northern Kazakhstan. In autumn, also long stops (up to 20-25 days) for feeding, but not where in the spring, are made. In the Zauralye, the places of the autumn concentration of the white-fronted goose are known on Lake Chelkar near Uralsk, on many lakes of the Kustanai region (Tenizor Lake Sary-Kopa, Naurzukma lakes, Tyuntyugur, etc.) and Lake Kurgaldzhin in the Tselinograd region. On these lakes, geese are kept by thousands until the end of October.
They fly out to feed on millet and wheat fields, sometimes for 75 km. In September, when there is still hot weather, the daily schedule for flying geese has features. Having flown off the lake at dawn, the geese return to the watering place at noon and effectively dive from a great height to the middle of the lake. Then the birds after a 2-3-hour rest again fly with screams to the fields and return to their lodging for the night in deep darkness. Later, in October, when it becomes noticeably colder, the geese do not drink water at noon and return to the lake only late at night.
It hibernates from England and the Mediterranean Sea to the east to South China and Japan. At us, it hibernates in a considerable amount along the Black Sea coast and in the south of the Caspian Sea.
White-fronted geese are predominantly terrestrial birds and, as a rule, fly to the water only for watering.
They almost always keep on land, walk well, run fast, swim well, and in case of danger they dive.
