Greater white-fronted goose

　The most numerous goose in Japan, with approximately 200,000 individuals migrating here annually. That said, the vast majority overwinter at Lake Izunuma, passing through Miyajima Marsh and Lake Utunai in Hokkaido during spring and autumn.

   The Greater white-fronted goose and the Lesser white-fronted goose are similar geese. The Lesser white-fronted goose has a conspicuous yellow eye ring, but the Greater white-fronted goose also has a faint eye ring, as shown in the photo, and some individuals have white reaching close to the top of their heads.

　This geese are classified into five subspecies with different breeding grounds, and the subspecies Anser albifrons rontalis migrates to Japan. There seems to be no decisive difference between the five subspecies other than size, but A. a. flavirostris, which breeds in Greenland, has a pinkish-yellow tip on its beak, making it relatively easy to distinguish in the field.