The Greater White-fronted Goose has one of the largest ranges of any species of goose in the world. In North America, it breeds across a broad region of the Arctic, from Alaska to the west coast of Hudson Bay. White-fronted Geese that breed in Canada belong to the Mid-continent population, which has increased substantially since the 1970s. Lincoln estimates of population size averaged about 2.3 million adults from 2012-2016. Most Mid-continent White-fronted Geese migrate through Alberta and Saskatchewan in the fall, where most of its Canadian harvest takes place. The combined Canadian and United States harvest has more than doubled since the 1970s. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
There are no serious management concerns for the White-fronted Goose. Most monitoring programs for White-fronted Geese suggest that the population has increased significantly in size over the past several decades. Annual harvest surveys and banding should be continued to monitor this population.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.