Red-breasted goose

Description

The red-headed goose ( Branta ruficollis,Pallas 1769 ) is a goose of the genus Branta.It is sometimes separated into Rufibrenta,but it seems quite related to Branna bernicla to make this division inappropriate,despite its different appearance.Small goose,average size 50-55 cm in length;does not have sexual dimorphism,the plumage is a combination of three colors: brick red,white and black;the chest is red;the sides,the back and the belly are black,the tail is predominantly white with black insertions,the tail feathers are black,the neck is red in the front and black in the back,the two colors are divided by a border white,red cheeks,black eye contour and nape,white jaw.The very short beak is black,while the legs are lead gray.In the young specimens,the plumage has a less marked color,less dark.All the species of the genus Branta are distinguished by the general dark gray color and each species has its own distribution of more or less white areas,which distinguishes them from the gray geese of the Anser genus.This species is unmistakable,but it is strangely difficult to identify it among the woodpulch geese because of its small size.At a great distance even the red areas tend to appear black,even seen from the front.