IMPE J VAN (1976) Short announcements: Occurrences of European White-fronted Geese with an orange coloration of the bill. LIMOSA 49 (3): 211-211.

Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Greenland White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons flavirostris During the past three winters, 8 White-fronted Geese A. a/bifrons with an orange coloration of the bill were observed in the province of Zeeland.In all these birds - 3 adults and 5 first years - any diffaence between the orange colour of the legs and that of the bill could not be detected. The literature does not give an indication ofthe occurrence of orange-billed European White-fronted Geese (A.a. a/bifrons), and confusion with the Greenland race A. a. flavirostris may easily occur. Because the plumage of a/bifrons may present some variability, such as an extension of the dark patches on the belly and a darker tinge of the whole plumage, these orange-billed geese could be wrongly determined in the field as Greenland White-fronted Geese A. a. flavirostris. Hence it is not excluded that in some instances in the past, these orange-billed a/bifrons were mistaken for the trueflavirostris on the European Continent

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