Lesser White-fronted Goose

　Reconnaissance trip to Lake Izunuma for the wildfowl guide. This lake hosts Japan’s largest wintering population of geese, and the majority of all goose species recorded in Japan can be seen here.

   That said, spotting a few dozen Lesser White-fronted Goose among over 100,000 geese is quite a challenge. If luck is against you, you might not see any at all.

I searched the rice fields south of Lake Naganuma meticulously, but came up empty on the first day. On the second day, just as I was worrying I might miss my flight, I found them.

   The most noticeable difference from the more common Greater White-fronted Goose is the prominent yellow eye ring and the white forehead extending almost to the crown. However, Greater White-fronted Geese occasionally have a less distinct yellow eye ring and a significantly larger, more conspicuous white forehead. The definitive difference is size. The goose on the right in the photo is a Greater White-fronted Goose,  but the Lesser White-fronted Goose on the left appears to be more than a size smaller.

　This year, the Lesser White-fronted Goose has been staying longer in Saitama City, increasing sighting opportunities, but it remains an endangered species. Although widely distributed across the Eurasian continent, hunting and the draining of wetlands in wintering grounds have led the International Union for Conservation of Nature to estimate the current population at 16,000-27,000 birds.