Snow Goose
Chen caerulescens
Track and Watch 3
This species is one of the 'track and watch' species in the Yukon as it is rare, threatened or both. If you see this species please take a photo (if you can), note where you are and either upload it to iNaturalist or send it straight to the Conservation Data Centre (CDC) by downloading a Field Observation Form for animals or by using your own method or reporting, and sending it to us: yukoncdc@gov.yk.ca
Summary 4
Named for its snow-white body, the white-morph Snow Goose may also be identified by its size (64-97cm/25-38in), pink bill, and black wing-tips. The only other all-white goose in North America, Ross’s Goose, is much smaller and shorter-billed. This species comes in another color morph, also know the “Blue Goose,” which has the same white head and tail as the white-morph Snow Goose but has a dark gray body and gray wings. Males and females are similar to one another in all seasons.
The Snow Goose breeds locally on islands in arctic Canada, as well as in Alaska, Greenland, and Siberia. This species migrates south for the winter, when it may be found in the Mid-Atlantic region, along the Mississippi River, and more locally west to California and British Columbia. Other populations winter in Mexico along the Gulf of California, along the Gulf of Mexico south to Veracruz, and in the central Mexican highlands. They breed in and around tundra lakes, ponds, and rivers. In winter, large numbers congregate on freshwater or saltwater wetlands, including marshes, estuaries, and bays. Migrating Snow Geese may be found elsewhere in North America on wetlands similar to those used during the winter.
This species primarily eats plant matter, including seeds, tubers, and roots, which it eats by grazing on exposed plant parts and excavating less-exposed material. Due to the relative inaccessibility of their breeding grounds, most birdwatchers never observe Snow Geese during the summer months. They are much more accessible in winter and during migration, when they may be found in large flocks on wetlands or in the air.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Bill Gracey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/12216940524/
- (c) Rick Leche, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/64649343@N00/2291976955
- (c) Yukon Conservation Data Centre, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
- Adapted by Yukon Conservation Data Centre from a work by (c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22710062
More Info
Range Map
iNaturalist.ca Map
| Color | white |
|---|---|
| Animal | Bird |
| Bird | goose |
