This is an immature lacking the adult's black barring on the underparts, but starting to develop a white blaze across its forehead for which this species is named. Birds breeding in East Asia and Western Canada and Alaska were formerly referred to as "Pacific White-fronted Goose" A. a. frontalis and described as being larger, with longer bill and darker head compared to nominate birds of Western Europe. However analysis by Banks (2011) found that frontalis is a junior synonym of A. a. gambelli breeding from interior Alaska to Hudson Bay. Furthermore the portion of the former A. a. frontalis breeding in East Asia and wintering in Japan are now merged with nominate A. a. albifrons.