Hi Ruth,

The darker White-fronted Goose that you saw *might* be the
Tule, or Gambel's, white fronted goose (Anser albifrons gambelli).
According to Bellrose (1976 Ducks, Geese and Swans of North
America), "Size is the most important criterion for distinguishing tule
geese from white-fronted specimens. Tule geese are longer, weigh
more, and have longer wings, legs and bills, and larger feet, than
whitefronts. Most specimens examined by Wilbur (1966) showed
a blackish-brown "cap" above the eye".

I've seen this subspecies down in the Klamath-Tule Lake basin on the
Oregon-California border, but wouldn't be surprised if it showed up in
Puget Sound occasionally.

You said, though, that your Tacoma bird was 'smaller' than the normal
white-fronted goose, which would preclude the Tule white-fronted goose.
Whichever subspecies you saw, anything other than the usual white-
fronted goose (A.a. frontalis) is a good sighting!!

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net
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Ruth Sullivan wrote:

Hello Jon,
>>On the Tahoma Christmas birdcount there was 9
Greater White-fronted Goose reported. I realy din't want to go
looking for this Birds. We found this 9 Goose last Sunday. When
i saw this Goose i know i never saw THIS kind of Greater White -
fronted Goose before There seem much smaler with more white
around the bill verry dark with an extreme black bib around the
belly. I this got the photos back, and can almost think that this
Goose are the Greenland Species.My first thoughts was
right when i saw this birds,something different about this Greater
White-fronted Goose in appearance.
Ruth Sullivan<<
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