Geografische variatie bij ganzen Deel 1 De Groenlandse Kolgans Anser albifrons flavirostris

This paper deals with the occurrence of the Greenland White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons flavirostris in the Netherlands and will be the first of a series of short communications in which we will put the spotlight on the geographical variation in geese, occurring in the West-Palearctic. The aim of these communications will be to point the attention of field observers on the geographical races of several species of geese, wintering in Western Europe, especially in The Netherlands. With respect to the Greenland Whitefronted Goose information is given dealing with the breeding and wintering range, habitat choose, feeding ecology, sitefidelity and movements within the wintering range, but especially with identification hints with which fieldobservers can distinguish this subspecies from the European and Western Asian race A. a. albifrons. Although the race flavirostris is a wintering bird in the United Kingdom and in Ireland, it seems that only very few of these geese are crossing the North Sea. It is therefore not very likely that they will appear in the Netherlands. Recently there have been however some observations of Greenland White-fronted Geese in The Netherlands and in western Britain as well as in Iceland, the race probably will be overlooked by field ornithologists. Therefore it will be necessary to pay more attention on the geographical origine of White-fronted Geese in the near future.