Bird - White-fronted Goose - WWT postcard

Postcard
• Picture / Image:  White-fronted Goose
• Publisher:  Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT)
• Postally used:  no
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s):  n/a
• Sent to:  n/a
• Notes / condition: 

Please ask if you need any other information and I will do the best I can to answer.

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Postage & Packing:

UK (incl. IOM, CI & BFPO): 99p

Europe: £1.60

Rest of world (inc. USA etc): £2.75

No additional charges for more than one postcard. You can buy as many postcards from me as you like and you will just pay the fee above once. (If buying postcards with other things such as books, please contact or wait for invoice before paying).

Payment Methods:

UK - PayPal, Cheque (from UK bank) or postal order

Outside UK: PayPal ONLY (unless otherwise stated) please.   NO non-UK currency checks or money orders (sorry).

NOTE: All postcards are sent in brand new stiffened envelopes which I have bought for the task. These are specially made to protect postcards and you may be able to re-use them. In addition there are other costs to sending so the above charge is not just for the stamp!

I will give a full refund if you are not fully satisfied with the postcard.

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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The Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) is a species of goose. The Greater White-fronted Goose is more closely related to the smaller Lesser White-fronted Goose (A. erythropus). In Europe it has been known as simply ""White-fronted Goose""; in North America it is known as the Greater White-fronted Goose (or ""Greater Whitefront""), and this name is also increasingly adopted internationally.^[1] It is named for the patch of white feathers bordering the base of its bill. But even more distinctive are the salt-and-pepper markings on the breast of adult birds, which is why the goose is colloquially called the ""Specklebelly"" in North America.^[2]

Greater White-fronted Geese are 64–81 cm (25–32 in) in length, have a 130–165 cm (51–65 in) wingspan and weigh 1.93–3.31 kg (4.3–7.3 lb).^[3][4] They have bright orange legs and mouse-coloured upper wing-coverts. They are smaller than Greylag Geese. As well as being larger than the Lesser White-fronted Goose, the Greater White-fronted Goose lacks the yellow eye-ring of that species, and the white facial blaze does not extend upwards so far as in Lesser.^[5]

The male is typical larger in size, both sexes are similar in appearance – greyish brown birds with light grey breasts dappled with dark brown to black blotches and bars. Both males and females also have a pinkish bill and orange legs and feet.^[2]

Differences between European and Greenland birds

The appearance of European or Russian White-fronted Geese, of the race albifrons and Greenland White-fronted Geese, of the race flavirostris, differ in a number of ways. Greenland White-fronted Goose, in all plumages, looks darker and more 'oily-looking' than European White-fronted Goose, both at rest and in flight.^[6]

The following are the differences which apply to first-winter plumage:^[6]

• The mantle and scapulars of flavirostris have narrow, indistinct pale fringes creating a uniform appearance to the birds' upperparts, whereas albifrons has noticeable whitish fringes creating obviously barred upperparts
• The tertials of flavirostris have indistinct pale fringes, whereas these pale fringes are more noticeable on albifrons
• The lesser- and median-upperwing-coverts of flavirostris have narrow, indistinct pale fringes, creating a rather uniform appearance ot the wing, whereas on albifrons, these fringes are prominent and broad, creating wingbars
• The greater-coverts of flavirostris are dark grey, with a narrow white tip, forming a narrow wing-bar; on albifrons they are blue-grey, with prominent white tips, forming a bold wing-bar
• The flank-line is narrows and white on flavirostris, but broad and bright white on albifrons
• The tail of flavirostris is dark brown, with a very narrow white tip and sides; that of albifrons is dark grey, and the white tip and sides are at least double the width of the corresponding areas on flavirostris
• The bill of flavirostris is orange-yellow with a dark nail, compared with the bright pink bill of albifrons which has only a hint of dark on the nail; in addition the bill of flavirostris is longer and appears slimmer than that of albifrons

The belly-barring on adult birds is on average more extensive on flavirostris than on albifrons, but the individual variation in both forms renders this of limited use as an identification feature.^[6]

The bill of adult Greenland White-fronts are also orange-yellow at the base, but can be more pinkish-yellow on the outer-half, thus close in colour to European White-fronts; the colour difference is more easily determined in dull, flat light rather than bright sunshine.^[6]

type=printed postcards

theme=animals

sub-theme=birds

number of items=single

period=1945 - present

postage condition=unposted