Species:

Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus)

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

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Length (cm):
53-66
25-30
Wingspan (cm):
120-135
50-62
Weight (gram):
1600-2500
125-300
Size group:
Bigger than a crow
Thrush-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Adults with white front of head reaching crown, black markings on belly and obvious, swollen yellow eye-ring. Juveniles lacks white forehead and black markings on belly. The yellow eye-ring is also less noticeable. Note that White-fronted Goose may also show faint eye-ring, limited belly-markings and extended white front to head. Leaves a more "pure" impression than White-fronted, with evenly coloured plumage, rounded body, short neck, short bill and steep forehead. Primaries are longer than in other geese, and may extend past tail.

Sound:

Contact call a characteristic, trisyllabic, yelping "ka-dyl-lyt". First syllable often with a goose-like timbre, and second and third a continuous clearer sound, with a rapid lowering of pitch between syllables. Much higher pitched than other grey geese.

Contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

CC-photo:Stefan Berndtsson, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Sibylle Stofer, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Fenners1984, Licence,Link.

CC-sound:Antero Lindholm. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/243944.

Appearance:

Smallest falcon. Male with slate grey upperparts, and pinkish buff, speckled underparts . Female dark brown above and heavily speckled below. Due to the extensive markings, the underparts give a darker impression than in Kestrel. Tail of female with dark broad bands, tail of male with broad black terminal band. Diffuse facial markings. Short wings. Silhouette similar to Peregrine, but the much faster wing beats are diagnostic. Acrobatic flight with sharp twist and turns when chasing prey. Alternating glides and bursts of wing-beats gives undulating flight.

Sound:

Series of harsh "kwik-wik wik". Coarseness similar to Peregrine, but pace much quicker. Female call harsher than male. Lacking the clearer tones and attack of Kestrel.

Alarm call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Thijs Fijen, Licence,Link.

Similar species (image):
Silhouette Group:
Duck-like
Silhouette
Raptors
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file