The white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) is a stocky, grey-brown bird with a white underparts. The name comes from the white patch that extends from the base of the bill toward the forehead. Its head, neck, back, wings and tail are noticeably darker than the pale chest and belly. The belly is adorned with pronounced, almost black transverse bands that run high onto the flanks. It has a stout pink bill and orange legs. The white-fronted goose is somewhat smaller than the gray goose — its length ranges from 65 to 78 cm, and its wingspan from 130 to 165 cm.
During the day it is herbivorous. It feeds on the roots, shoots, leaves, stems and fruits of terrestrial plants, especially grasses and sedges. It frequents cereal fields, particularly in winter also potato fields, so it is understandable that farmers do not like it.
The white-fronted goose is a pronounced migratory bird that regularly winters here. In winter it grazes in flocks on open pastures and agricultural lands, and in the evening the flocks gather on the lake surface where they roost. It nests high in the north in the vast tundra of Siberia and Greenland, always near wetlands, lakes or rivers. A simple nest made from plant material is built on the ground, even better on a tuft of sedges or grasses, as this reduces the chance that the nest will be destroyed by rising water. Moreover, from an elevated nest it has a better view and detects possible danger sooner.
It is threatened by intensive hunting, the use of pesticides and herbicides on agricultural lands, as well as the loss of nesting habitat due to drying, peat digging and changes in agricultural practices.
