Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 25,700,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 88,800,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 5000000-5999999 mature individuals | poor | estimated | 2022 |
| Population trend | unknown | - | - | - |
| Generation length | 8.7 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The European breeding population is estimated at 280,000-331,000 pairs, which equates to 560,000-662,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2021). Across its North American range, newer information suggests that the species numbers 4,300,000 mature individuals, where conversions have already taken place to estimate the number of breeding adults (Partners in Flight 2021). In East Asia, the population across South Korea, Japan and China are thought to number 231,000-283,000 individuals (Jia et al. 2016), roughly converted to 154,000-189,000 mature individuals. To account for additional population structures across the species' flyways (per Wetlands International 2022), a revised global population estimate is therefore placed in the band of 5,000,000-5,999,999 mature individuals.
Trend justification: The overall population trend is uncertain, as some populations are decreasing, while others are stable, increasing or have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2022). This species has undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (Partners in Flight 2021). In Europe the population size is estimated to be stable (BirdLife International 2021).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Albania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Armenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belize | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bermuda (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Canada | extant | native | yes | |||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cuba | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Cyprus | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | native | yes | |||
| Egypt | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Finland | extant | native | yes | |||
| France | extant | native | yes | |||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | |||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | |||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iceland | extant | native | yes | |||
| India | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ireland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Israel | extant | native | ||||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | |||
| Japan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Jordan | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kuwait | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Kyrgyzstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Latvia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | |||
| Libya | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Liechtenstein | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Luxembourg | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Malta | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mauritania | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mexico | extant | native | yes | |||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | |||
| Morocco | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Myanmar | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | |||
| Niger | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Nigeria | extant | vagrant | ||||
| North Korea | extant | native | yes | |||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Norway | extant | native | yes | |||
| Oman | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Pakistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Palestine | extant | native | yes | |||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Portugal | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Qatar | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (Central Asian) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (European) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Serbia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Korea | extant | native | yes | |||
| Spain | extant | vagrant | ||||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Sudan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Sweden | extant | native | yes | |||
| Switzerland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Taiwan, China | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Tajikistan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Tunisia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turkmenistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | |||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | vagrant | ||||
| United Kingdom | extant | native | yes | |||
| USA | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Uzbekistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Yemen | extant | vagrant |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Tundra | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Tundra Wetlands (incl. pools and temporary waters from snowmelt) | major | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 2500 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Energy production & mining | Oil & gas drilling | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Viral/prion-induced diseases - Unspecified species | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Unknown | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (domestic use) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents - Herbicides and pesticides | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Transportation & service corridors | Shipping lanes | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Unknown | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/greater-white-fronted-goose-anser-albifrons on 25/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 25/12/2024.