Ross's Goose

Chen rossii

Order ANSERIFORMES - Family ANATIDAE - Subfamily Anserinae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A tiny white goose with black wingtips, the Ross's Goose is like a miniature version of the more abundant Snow Goose. It breeds in the central Arctic and winters primarily in central California, but it is becoming more frequent farther east.

Cool Facts

• Downy young come in two colors: yellow and gray. The two forms look identical once they get real feathers.
• Very rarely a Ross's Goose can be found that is dark-colored like a blue morph Snow Goose. These blue morph Ross's Geese are thought to be the result of hybridization with Snow Geese.

• Prior to the 1950s the Ross's Goose was confined to well-defined breeding and wintering areas, with few seen as strays. Since that time the species has been expanding eastward, both on the breeding and wintering grounds. The change in breeding distribution has resulted in more contact and subsequent hybridization with the Snow Goose.

• The female Ross's Goose does all of the incubation of the eggs. The male stays nearby and guards her the whole time. The female covers the eggs with down when she leaves the nest. The down keeps the eggs warm while she is away and may help hide them from predators.

Description

• Size: 57-64 cm (22-25 in)
• Wingspan: 114 cm (45 in)
• Weight: 860-2040 g (30.36-72.01 ounces)

• Small goose.
• White all over, except for black primaries.
• Pink bill.

• Head round.
• Bill short and triangular.
• Greenish warty patch at base of bill.
• Lacks black along bill edge.
• Legs dark pink.
• Eyes dark.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike, male slightly larger.

Immature

Pale gray above, white below. Gray line through eye. Legs, feet, and bill gray, turning pink.

Similar Species

• Snow Goose larger, has larger bill without greenish base and with black grin patch along bill edge (black "lips"). Edge of base of bill along side of face curved, not straight.
• Ross's X Snow Goose hybrid intermediate between the two. Smaller than Snow Goose, may have small grin patch, and will show slight curve of bill edge along face.

Sound

Call a high-pitched "keek keek keek."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds in central Canadian Arctic and along Hudson's Bay. Rare in Alaska.

Winter Range

Winters primarily in central California. Also in smaller numbers from Colorada to central Mexico and on Texas coast. Scattered individuals found on East Coast.

Habitat

Breeds on low arctic tundra, on islands in shallow lakes. Winters in agricultural fields and shallow wetlands.

Food

Entirely vegetarian; grasses, sedges, legumes, and domestic grains.

Behavior

Foraging

Grazes on grass.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest a scrape in the ground lined with plant material and down feathers.

Egg Description

White, usually stained during incubation.

Clutch Size

2-6 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Covered with down and eyes open. Leaves nest within 24 hours of hatching and has the ability to swim and feed.

Conservation Status

Population relatively small, but increasing significantly.

Other Names

Oie de Ross (French)
Ansar de Ross, Ganso de Ross, Ganso menor (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Ryder, J. P., and R. T. Alisauskas. 1994. Ross' Goose (Chen rossii). In The Birds of North America, No. 162 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.