Greater White-fronted Goose

The Greater White-fronted Goose is part of the geese group in the same way as the Bean Goose, the Barnacle Goose, the Tundra Goose or the Pink-footed Goose, a group so named because of the colour of the plumage of the upper parts which have more or less grey.
The Greater White-fronted Goose is visibly smaller than the other grey geese, except for the Barnacle Goose. There is also no sexual dimorphism, except for size, with males always being a little bigger than females.
An adult Greater White-fronted Goose can easily be recognised from a distance by its white face and black transverse bands that cross the light beige chest and belly. But it is not the only one. The adult Barnacle Goose also shows the same, and even if the species is a rare winter visitor to the west of the continent, it must be taken into consideration. It is careful observation of the head that provides the answer. In the case of the White-fronted Goose, the white of the face ends in a round shape at the top of the forehead (extending to the crown in the case of the Barnacle Goose) and the dark eye does not stand out on the brown of the head (the dark eye of the Barnacle Goose is circled with yellow in a clearly visible way, even for the 1st winter). Both species have a pink beak with a white tip, but the White-fronted Goose has a slightly thicker and longer one. The legs are bright orange.
The young "1st winter" differs from the adults in that there is no white on the face, nor any black bars on the lower parts. It can be identified as a young White-fronted Goose by its pink beak, whose tip is dark, and by the company of adults.