Snow Goose

Chen caerulescens

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 medium-sized goose that breeds on the arctic tundra, the Snow Goose travels south in very large, high-flying, noisy flocks. The swirling white of a descending flock suggests snow, but among the white birds are darker individuals. Until recently, the Blue Geese, as the dark birds were called, were considered a separate species. They are now recognized as merely a dark form (or "morph") of the Snow Goose.

Cool Facts

• Snow Goose hunting in the eastern United States was stopped in 1916 because of low population levels. Hunting was allowed again in 1975 after populations had increased. Populations have been growing so large that the geese are destroying nesting habitat. Hunting has not slowed the dramatic increases in population size.

• One nest was found to be attended by two female Snow Geese, but no male. Each female had been inseminated by a different male and both incubated the eggs.

• The dark color of the blue morph Snow Goose is controlled by a single gene, with dark being partially dominant over white. If a pure dark goose mates with a white goose, the offspring will all be dark (possibly with white bellies). If two white geese mate, they have only white offspring. If two dark geese mate, they will have mostly dark offspring, but might have a few white ones too.

• Parents stay with their young through the first winter. Families travel together on both the southbound and northbound migrations, separating only after they return to the arctic breeding grounds. Family groups can easily be seen in migrating and wintering flocks.

Description

• Size: 69-83 cm (27-33 in)
• Wingspan: 138 cm (54 in)
• Weight: 1600-3300 g (56.48-116.49 ounces)

• Medium-sized goose.
• Black patch on bill edges, the "grinning patch" or "smile."
• Two color forms.
• White morph: White all over, except for black primaries.
• Blue morph: White head and front of neck, body dark gray-brown.

• Bill pink.
• Legs dark pink.
• Eyes dark.
• White morph may have rusty-orange staining on head and neck.
• Blue morph has wing coverts gray, rump pale gray, tail dark gray. Belly may be white.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike, male larger.

Immature

White morph: Gray above, darker on head and neck. White below. Legs, feet, and bill gray, turning pink. Blue morph: Entirely dark gray-brown. Belly paler to white. White under tail. Wing linings pale gray, contrast with dark body and black primaries in flight.

Similar Species

• Ross's Goose smaller, has much smaller triangular bill without grin patch, has warty green base to bill, and a straight, not curved base of bill on side of face.

Sound

Noisy. Call a loud nasal "whouk." Calls at any hour, in any season, from any location.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds in scattered colonies north of the tree line from northern Alaska across arctic Canada to Greenland. Also in northeastern Siberia.

Winter Range

Winters primarily in central California, western Gulf Coast, and the middle Atlantic coast. Also in lesser numbers in Pacific Northwest, in the central states, and the Southwest and central Mexico.

Habitat

• Breeds on subarctic and arctic tundra, near ponds or streams.
• Winters in coastal marshes and bays, wet grasslands, freshwater marshes, and cultivated fields.

Food

Entirely vegetarian. Eats variety of plant species and parts, from aquatic plants to grasses and grain.

Behavior

Foraging

Feeds in water-logged soil or shallow water.

Courtship

Courtship displays and pairing take place in spring, during a goose's second spring migration. Pairs remain together for life.

Reproduction

Nest Type

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

Egg Description

Creamy white to dirty gray.

Clutch Size

Usually 2-6 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

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

Conservation Status

Populations have been growing exponentially in most parts of thier ranges. some colonies are becoming so large that the geese are destroying nesting habitat, and hunting is proposed to decrease the populations.

Other Names

Oie blanche, Oie bleue, Oie des neiges (French)
Ganso blanco (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Mowbray, T. B., F. Cooke, and B. Ganter. 2000. Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens). In The Birds of North America, No. 514 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.